

  (Source: Lockheed Martin)










Comments     Threshold


If I Were Them
By Sazabi19 on 8/4/2011 7:58:32 AM , Rating: 2
I think I would choose another platform.

RE: If I Were Them
By jeepga on 8/4/2011 8:30:50 AM , Rating: 1
I think I would choose another contractor .


RE: If I Were Them
By Natch on 8/4/2011 8:36:31 AM , Rating: 4
Makes you wonder how many people at the Pentagon are thinking, "Maybe we should have gone with Boeing's design?"

RE: If I Were Them
If it ain't a Boing, it ain't going.

RE: If I Were Them
By michael67 on 8/4/11, Rating: -1
RE: If I Were Them
RE: If I Were Them
By ajfink on 8/4/2011 9:13:18 AM , Rating: 2
Their problem isn't so much their uselessness (and we should all be thankful that, at the moment, they are rather useless) - it's how much money has been poured and continues to be poured into the programs. The Pentagon has horrible contracting regulations when it comes to actually looking into the costs that contractors tack on through subcontractors et al. Since things are getting a little tighter in the wallet there, it seems they are finally changing this, but it's probably too late for the F-35.

As for the F-22, build 'em.

RE: If I Were Them
By espaghetti on 8/4/2011 3:54:02 PM , Rating: 1
I've seen the F-22 perform at an air show at Rickenbacker Airfield.
The pilot was performing maneuvers that an F-14 only dreams of thanks to thrust vectoring.
Broke my heart actually.

RE: If I Were Them
By Smilin on 8/4/2011 4:12:00 PM , Rating: 5
A tractor trailer can pull maneuvers that an F-14 can only dream of.

RE: If I Were Them
By 91TTZ on 8/4/2011 11:39:35 AM , Rating: 3
Before I watch that, please tell me that it isn't Carlo Copp. Whenever I see something from Australia it's always that guy saying the same exact thing.

RE: If I Were Them
By hduser on 8/4/2011 1:40:38 PM , Rating: 3
Seemed like a video plug for the Russian fighter. 1/2 was spend bad mouthing the F-35 and the last half was Top Gun-Russian Style.

RE: If I Were Them
So it couldn't possibly be propaganda?

RE: If I Were Them
Ofc not :)


RE: If I Were Them
By inperfectdarkness on 8/4/2011 1:19:08 PM , Rating: 2
the t-50, like all of sukhoi's offerings, are air superiority fighters. the f-22 already fills that role.

what we need is a multi-role fighter; and the size thereof is much more similar to the mig-29.

for what it's worth, multi-role fighters usually don't stack up as well against air-superiority fighters; it kinda goes without saying. i'd honestly be surprised to see f-16's do very well against su-30mkk's; and i'd be equally surprised to see f-35's do very well against pak-fa's or j-12's.

f-35's are a great jet to conduct strike missions, mop-up defenses, provide point defense, or lower-threat escort missions.

when you need to take out the crak jets, you send in raptors.

f22's been in service for years. f35 is nearly to unit operational status. pak-fa & j-12 are still in development.

RE: If I Were Them
By Flunk on 8/4/2011 9:00:14 AM , Rating: 2
It's a little late now isn't it? It's all well and good to say that but they'd have to pay for development all over again, even at a great price that's far more than finishing off the run of F-35s.

This is something they need to think about for the next generation of military hardware, and it seems like they are. Some of the newer equipment is actually going to be in use before the F-35s are.

RE: If I Were Them
By Iaiken on 8/4/2011 3:57:09 PM , Rating: 2
Indeed. The government has two crappy choices before it.

1. Continue to throw good money after bad.
2. Start over and incur the same sort of waste all over again.

Oh well...

