Australia may reconsider F-35 order after cost blowout, delays

I don't see the problem with canceling, if you are buying something and then the price goes up significantly you must reconsider the purchase.

 

Smart.

Total waste of money.

 

Trouble is, they already have $Bs invested in the program and there were also offsets of production nearly equalling the price of the aircraft. Not always a simple as it seems. Plus with Russia, India, and China developing 5th generation fighters, the F/A-18E/F, based on the YF-17 that first flew in June 1974, will be very vulnerable in future conflicts.

If you think there is no possibility of a future conflict involving the Australians, make that argument, but as a former fighter guy, I want the best equipment available to protect my pink, vulnerable body.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

The U.S., should have offered an export model of the F-22.

Of course, Australia, is not the only ally, to be shown the door.





The F-35 program has issues.

 

Ralf- Unfortunately the F-22 fleet has been grounded for quite some time due to toxicity issues with the onboard oxygen generation system. The system has been letting all kinds of nasty stuff get to the pilots and there have been numerous incidents, possibly including the fatal crash in Alaska.

But, yes, the F-22 would have been an ideal aircraft for the Australians and Japanese, mainly for air defense.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

The latest report states that they still don't know what the issue is.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/07/26/359981/usaf-continues-probe-into-f-22-grounding.html

 

The F-35 fleet has been grounded now.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/08/11/360618/f-35-grounding-continues-indefinitely-but-ground-testing.html

 

We are fully committed to the F-35 now, as are many other nations

 

A weapons system that is too expensive to properly develop and field is defeated just as much as one that is shot down in combat.

 

More problems for the F-35A and B models.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/09/07/361687/lockheed-finds-new-structural-weakness-on-two-f-35-variants.html