F-35: 'A Trillion Dollar Turd' - Russian Payback For US Crashing Their Economy

[BMJ]

The "Don" speaks on the topic:

Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...61677160202240

[BMJ]

This is the offical Lockheed colour brochure.

Oops sorry um wrong document this is the glitch list.

Even thou the list is long as pinocchio's nose, the top top secret do-hicky will provide the F-35 the edge over all opponents and at only a slightly more expensive price per aircraft than a F-22 Raptor.

[DeDukshyn]

The new Liberal government says there is no commitment on these, but they're not yet off the table for Canada. The government wants a full review of the f-35s and competitive bids from other builders - they will then choose the best from the selection presented - the way such a decision should be made. This is what they say they will do anyway ... but it appears the new government is aware of the "turd" status, or at very least is well aware that the method in decision making on the F-35s by the previous government had some stinkiness to it.

[BMJ]

F-35 May Never Be Ready for Combat
Testing Report Contradicts Air Force Leadership’s Rosy Pronouncements

By: Dan Grazier & Mandy Smithberger | September 9, 2016

Link: http://www.pogo.org/straus/issues/we...or-combat.html

From the article:
The Pentagon’s top testing office warns that the F-35 is in no way ready for combat since it is “not effective and not suitable across the required mission areas and against currently fielded threats.” (Emphasis added) As it stands now, the F-35 would need to run away from combat and have other planes come to its rescue, since it “will need support to locate and avoid modern threats, acquire targets, and engage formations of enemy fighter aircraft due to outstanding performance deficiencies and limited weapons carriage available (i.e., two bombs and two air-to-air missiles).” In several instances, the memo rated the F-35A less capable than the aircraft we already have.

[BMJ]

Unbelieveably such an expensive piece of military hardware as the F-35 needs to be mollycoddled.

The question is how on earth would this delicate flower fair in combat and from a forward airbase away from all the pampering. Would it still need its entourage during war?


Key points:
- A KPMG report shows corrosion risks from salt to 72 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at the Williamtown RAAF base
- The report warns aluminium parts are susceptible, and recommends full-time dehumidification
- The fighters are the largest acquisition in the Air Force's history, costing $17 billion


F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at Williamtown RAAF base susceptible to 'intergranular corrosion', KPMG report finds

Auditing and consulting firm KPMG was tasked with doing a report on the "intergranular corrosion mitigation options" for the 72 F-35A fighter jets, bought by the Australian Defence Force for $17 billion.

Concerns over the risk of metal stress and cracking were raised in 2017, the year before the next-generation fighters were due to come to Australia.

The FOI report obtained by the ABC said of the three bases where the jets would be based, only Williamtown, near Newcastle, had been identified as having potential problems.

The risk is posed by salt and other climatic conditions.

What's intergranular corrosion?

Intergranular corrosion occurs as a chemical reaction between metal and the environment.

"It can degrade the material properties causing stress cracking and cause tensile stress which can impact adjacent components", the report said.

The report points to Aluminium Alloy 7085, used in the construction of the F-35 — the first time the material had been used in widespread production of a military aircraft.

"AA 7085 is reported to have increased susceptibility to intergranular corrosion," the report said.

The jets will also be based at Luke Airforce Base in the US state of Arizona, and the RAAF base at Tindall in the Northern Territory.

"While up to 54 of the fleet of 72 aircraft can be housed at Williamtown at any one time, all aircraft will be rotated through Williamtown and are therefore susceptible to intergranular corrosion," the report said.

As a result, KPMG recommended the full-time use of mobile dehumidification units, in conjunction with other systems.

The projected costs for the infrastructure have been redacted in the KPMG report released through FOI.

When the first of the next-generation fighter jets arrived at Williamtown RAAF base in December 2018, the Defence Minister Christopher Pyne said each plane cost $124 million and represented good value for money.

"This is the largest acquisition of the Air Force's history, $17 billion, and arguably the most lethal in the Air Force's history, certainly of its time," Mr Pyne said.

But the Joint Strike Fighter has been plagued by delays and cost overruns in the United States and concerns ranging from overheating to unreliable software platforms.

Link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-...osion/11085220

[KiwiElf]

Posted by BMJ (here)
Unbelieveably such an expensive piece of military hardware as the F-35 needs to be mollycoddled.

Didn't you know that the govt/military (used to) pay $40,000 for a spanner? (now what movie did I get that from? (and it's true!!!!) ... muahahahaha) (I'd guess that kind of "laundering" will soon be "past tense"?).

EDIT: The Canadian Avro Arrow of the 1950's was better!!!!! (This thing is a ... )

[BMJ]

Posted by KiwiElf (here)

Posted by BMJ (here)
Unbelieveably such an expensive piece of military hardware as the F-35 needs to be mollycoddled.

Didn't you know that the govt/military (used to) pay $40,000 for a spanner? (now what movie did I get that from? (and it's true!!!!) ... muahahahaha) (I'd guess that kind of "laundering" will soon be "past tense"?).

EDIT: The Canadian Avro Arrow of the 1950's was better!!!!! (This thing is a ... )

That's not your ID4 movie quote is it, I think it was a toilet seat they where talking about.

This whole issue of the F-35 has turned into a religion for the military. The military have this blind faith in the F-35 regardless of all its flaws and believe in its mystical powers all to the detriment of our national security.

So instead of wasting 17 billion Australian dollars on the F-35, Australia should gift the cash to China when they final decided to invade or the Clinton Foundation, that way at least someone will be getting some use out of the cash.

Maybe it is time for the military to call it a day, swallow their pride and accept the F-35 for what it is a


Then instead for the same price we could purchase 140 Boeing F-18F Super Hornets now that would be an excellent investment and deterrent.

[KiwiElf]

Heh, I think you're right (haven't watch ID4 for ages - you just reminded me! It was a toilet seat!!!)

Just had a flick back through the thread; very interesting how many videos have now disappeared. That Arrow movie is still up and well worth the watch, IMO.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=9PMnlnqRex4

Also, have a bit of a dig as to how development of the Harrier 2, which would have been supersonic as well as VTOL - and the whole Harrier program - was canned in the UK a few years ago in favour of the F-22/F-35 replacing it. (bad decision!)

[Didgevillage]

Russia still is a poor country and life there would be much easier, if the country needed not to spend so much money and resources to counter the US and NATO build-up based on the imaginary "Russian threat"

[BMJ]

Who would have thought.

The lack of the US Air Forces faith in the F-35 is telling as the US Air Force is eyeing the upgraded proven and highly capable Boeing F-15 Eagle proposal to replace it's current tired fleet of F-15, instead of buying more F-35's.

The upgraded F-15 would be the excellent F-15EX, and possibly the proposed and excellent F-15 Eagle 2040C (an upgraded F-15C).


Lockheed Martin slashes price of F-35 as Pentagon eyes competitors

Above the budget variant the F-35A

Defense giant Lockheed Martin has offered to discount its F-35 jet fighter by over 10 percent, as the US Air Force weighs an offer from Boeing. The stealth fighter project has been plagued by reliability issues and cost overruns.

Lockheed is offering to sell 100 F-35As – the cheapest variant of the jet – to the Department of Defense for under $80 million each, according to a report from Defense One. The variant previously came with a price tag of $89.5 million, under a deal inked last September.

The discounted jets would be shipped to the Air Force, while Lockheed would also provide two other lots of the more expensive F-35Bs for the Marine Corps and F-35Cs for the Navy, and an assortment of variants for allied forces.

The price cut comes as the Air Force mulls purchasing Boeing’s upgraded F-15 Eagle fighters in a bid to replace its existing but aging fleet of F-15s. Pentagon budget documents revealed this plan in March. Although an upgraded Cold War-era airframe, the F-15 is slightly cheaper than the next-generation F-35.

Lockheed, however, has pitched the F-35 as a more cost-efficient solution, given the recent price drop. (Really????)

“This represents equal or less than the procurement cost of legacy jets, while providing a generational leap in capability,” a spokesman told Defense One.

‘Cost efficient’ is not a term commonly applied to the F-35. Since Lockheed won the contract almost 20 years ago, the F-35 has become the most expensive military program ever, with the total price tag expected to hit $1.5 trillion by 2070, the projected end of its service life. Cost overruns and delays have plagued the program, which was already $163 billion over budget and seven years behind schedule by 2014.

Although the USAF deployed F-35s on their first combat mission earlier this month, reports of technical and safety flaws have repeatedly surfaced. A 2018 Government Accountability Office report revealed more than 960 “open deficiencies” that needed to be resolved, while a separate Pentagon report published in February found more issues with the plane, including problems with its gun and a shorter than projected operational lifespan.

A Japanese F-35A crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a training exercise last month. The defense ministry in Tokyo later revealed that five F-35s of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force have had to make emergency landings in the two years before the crash, and that the jet had been bugged with cooling and navigation issues.

Link: https://www.rt.com/usa/458830-f35-cost-drop-boeing/

Related Articles:
US Defence Acquisition Summary, (see Page 14 and 39)
Link: https://comptroller.defense.gov/Port...20_Weapons.pdf

Japan’s crashed F-35 had navigation & cooling faults, whole fleet forced into 7 emergency landings
Link: https://www.rt.com/news/456862-japan...ency-landings/

[BMJ]

Posted by DeDukshyn (here)
The new Liberal government says there is no commitment on these, but they're not yet off the table for Canada. The government wants a full review of the f-35s and competitive bids from other builders - they will then choose the best from the selection presented - the way such a decision should be made. This is what they say they will do anyway ... but it appears the new government is aware of the "turd" status, or at very least is well aware that the method in decision making on the F-35s by the previous government had some stinkiness to it.

In response to your post, but off topic.

Which is exactly the way a competent selection process should occur.

In the interim, Canada is acquiring 18 and this has been revised to 25 ex Australian classic F-18 Hornets. The first two arrived at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake in Alberta on the 17 February 2019. See video below.

First 2 Australian F/A-18 Hornet arrive in Canada

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=OLF5s5Pq6wo

contactpublishing
Published on Feb 17, 2019
The first two Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18A 'Classic' Hornets to be sold to the Royal Canadian Air Force have been delivered to Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada.
The pair – tail numbers A21-53 and A21-55 – had just completed participating in Exercise Red Flag 19-1 in Nevada, USA.
They landed in Cold Lake on Saturday and were formally accepted at an indoor ceremony on Sunday.

Related Article: http://www.contactairlandandsea.com/...red-to-canada/

[DeDukshyn]

Posted by BMJ (here)

Posted by DeDukshyn (here)
The new Liberal government says there is no commitment on these, but they're not yet off the table for Canada. The government wants a full review of the f-35s and competitive bids from other builders - they will then choose the best from the selection presented - the way such a decision should be made. This is what they say they will do anyway ... but it appears the new government is aware of the "turd" status, or at very least is well aware that the method in decision making on the F-35s by the previous government had some stinkiness to it.

In response to your post, but off topic.

Which is exactly the way a competent selection process should occur.

Canada in the meantime are acquiring 18 and this has been revised to 25 ex Australian classic F-18 Hornets. The first two arrived at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake in Alberta on the 17 February 2019. See video below.

First 2 Australian F/A-18 Hornet arrive in Canada

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=OLF5s5Pq6wo

contactpublishing
Published on Feb 17, 2019
The first two Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18A 'Classic' Hornets to be sold to the Royal Canadian Air Force have been delivered to Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada.
The pair – tail numbers A21-53 and A21-55 – had just completed participating in Exercise Red Flag 19-1 in Nevada, USA.
They landed in Cold Lake on Saturday and were formally accepted at an indoor ceremony on Sunday.

Related Article: http://www.contactairlandandsea.com/...red-to-canada/

There's some people unhappy with us still buying those "old, used" FA18's -- but its what we already have (majority of our fleet is customized Hornets), we already know how to maintain and fly and train to fly them and have all the infrastructure for such, so there's massive cost savings right there.

Sure they might not have the "latest and greatest" tech (and probably need a ton of initial maintenance), but these planes upgrade quite well (current fleet went through complete modernization a few years ago), and any plane has ~50 year lifespan with proper maintenance. So I see this decision as an acceptable one until we can decide who to award the next contract to ... hopefully in a proper manner. Didn't know we were buying 25 though - that seems excessive ... some for spare parts? lol ...



Just for fun ... here's Japanese Motorcycle racing ... notice the guy in yellow in the vintage hardtail keeping up with all the modern crotch rockets.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=dEYEn_fpv-4