F-35 Lightning II: News thread

But 200 millions per aircraft, little crazy.

gaurav wrote:

But 200 millions per aircraft, little crazy.

200 million /aircraft then what do you say of a country like India ..

which is buying rafale crap for another 200 millions usd/aircraft.
126 aircraft for a potential 20 billionUSD deal. It looks like a GDP of a medium sized country..

nemrod wrote:

gaurav wrote:

But 200 millions per aircraft, little crazy.

200 million /aircraft then what do you say of a country like India ..

which is buying rafale crap for another 200 millions usd/aircraft.
126 aircraft for a potential 20 billionUSD deal. It looks like a GDP of a medium sized country..

Sorry gaurav, but the Rafale's price is 90 millions €, it is somewhat far from 200 millions/aircraft for F-35. Moreover indian GDP is in better conditions, and in better state than US crippling collapsing economy.
Beside the shamefully shinning wall street's dividends, you have nearly 50 millions US eating from food stamps program, 100 millions did not eat well, nearly half of people has money problem, furthermore, no medical care.
Obviously, if you compare to India, yes being hungry in USA, is somewhere better to be hungry in India. Because in US Army hires wery well, indeed, you can find easilly jobs, but don't come back without leg or arm after a war,... no more money for hospitals.

Concerning this deal with Rafale, in fact France will loose in this transaxtion, because of technology transfert. in fact India is developping its AMCA, hence need western technology, even though India spent much money, it will retrieve the precious know-how. In few years India won't need western technology.

Back to our subject, we are far from US JSF 200 millions/unity , US is still believing they are before 2008, spend money, and world will pay your deficit. Now the BRICS became a reality, great power, and no question to pay any US deficit, for that reason US is looking for a small war in order to keep the confidence, and seeming the number 1, dreaming of its lost empire, where everybody had to speak english, as I had to. However the back to the reality will be a huge shock.

The truly poor people are generally thin.

GarryB wrote:

The truly poor people are generally thin.

Here in NZ poor people can still have a car and a TV but still be considered poor... it is not the same as some countries.

BTW often poor people are overweight because they can't afford healthy food, or they just don't care. Middle class people and rich people can be fat too and for a myriad of reasons... not all of them economic.

BTRfan wrote:
The truly poor people are generally thin.

God's work.

This crisis is war between the two classes, mine is the winner.

BTRfan wrote:
The F-35 will either be a spectacular success or a miserable failure, time will tell.

Published time: August 02, 2013 16:42
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Leaked documents from a Pentagon budget review suggest that the agency is tired of its costly F-35 fighter jets, and has thoughts about cancelling the $391.2 billion program that has already expanded into 10 foreign countries.

Pentagon officials held a briefing on Wednesday in which they mapped out ways to manage the $500 billion in automated budget cuts required over the next decade. A slideshow laid out a number of suggestions and exposed the Pentagon’s frustration with its F-35 jets, which are designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp. based out of Bethesda, Md. The agency also suggested scrapping plans for a new stealthy, long-range bomber, attendees of the briefing told Reuters.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke to reporters on Wednesday and indicated that the Pentagon might have to decide between a "much smaller force" and a decade-long "holiday" from modernizing weapons systems and technology.

Pentagon briefing slides indicated that a decision to maintain a larger military "could result in the cancellation of the $392 billion Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 program and a new stealthy, long-range bomber," Reuters reports.

When officials familiar with the budget review leaked the news about the F-35s, the agency tried to downplay its alleged intentions.

The F-35 program is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapon system. A fleet of 2,443 aircraft has an estimated price tag of $391.2 billion, which is up 68 percent from the projected costs measured in 2001. Earlier this year, Air Force Lieutenant General Christopher Bogdan, the F-35 program manager, condemned the manufacturer for “trying to squeeze every nickel” out of the Department of Defense.

Although the warplane is the most expensive combat aircraft in history, its quality is lacking. In February, the US military grounded an entire fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters because of a crack found on a turbine blade on one of the jets, marking the fourth time that a fleet was grounded because of manufacturing problems. In April, Bogdan told a Senate committee that he doubted the planes could withstand a sophisticated cyberattack.

But before the sequestration took effect this year, the Pentagon secured several contracts with Lockheed Martin to ensure the continued production and maintenance of the costly F-35s. This week, the Defense Department struck another deal with the company to produce 71 more jet fighters, claiming the costs per aircraft have been reduced by about 4 percent – an insignificant reduction when compared to the 68 percent price increase that has occurred since 2001.

After news broke of the Pentagon’s prospect to cancel the program, officials tried to control the damage of such an alarming statement that runs counter to the claims they publicly make.

"We have gone to great lengths to stress that this review identified, through a rigorous process of strategic modeling, possible decisions we might face, under scenarios we may or may not face in the future," Pentagon Spokesman George Little told Reuters in an email when asked about the slides. "Any suggestion that we're now moving away from key modernization programs as a result of yesterday's discussion of the outcomes of the review would be incorrect.”

An unnamed defense official familiar with the briefing told Reuters that the leaked budget document indicated possibilities for a worst-case scenario. He admitted that the Pentagon considered scrapping the program, but said it was unlikely, since “cancelling the program would be detrimental to our national defense.”

Regardless of the Pentagon’s intent, Congress is responsible for authorizing Department of Defense spending, and has often forced the agency to make costly and unnecessary weapons purchases.

Last year, US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said that the US has no need for new tanks. But even though senior Army officials have repeatedly stated that there is no need to spend half a billion dollars in taxpayer funds on new 70-ton Abrams tanks, lawmakers from both parties have pushed the Pentagon to accept the useless purchases.

Earlier this year, an investigation revealed that lobbying efforts by Northrop Grumman have kept a costly Global Hawk drone flying, despite the Pentagon’s attempt to end the project. A defense authorization bill passed by Congress requires the Air Force to keep flying its Block 30 Global Hawks through at least 2014, which costs taxpayers $260 million per year.

The US spends more money on defense than any other nation, but lawmakers from both parties often insist that the agency continue to buy tanks and keep ships and planes it no longer needs. Although the Pentagon has expressed its frustration with the costly F-35 fighter jets, there is little the agency can do without congressional support.

GarryB wrote:

For the Russians they already have their previous generation aircraft still in production and being fitted with upgrades being developed for their next gen aircraft. The real difference is that production of Su-35 and Mig-35 means there is much less pressure to make thousands of new 5th gen fighters right now while they are expensive.

In ten years time when they have perfected the PAK FA and found out what works and what doesn't their light 5th gen fighter will likely be much cheaper and also able to be exported in numbers.

As Sa'iqa wrote:Certainly, fighting a nuclear war with Russia will not help US economy recover...

nemrod wrote:

As Sa'iqa wrote:Certainly, fighting a nuclear war with Russia will not help US economy recover...

Nuclear's Russia save the world peace. More Russia is stronger, better the world is.

Regular wrote:Well fast food in UK is more expensive than food You can make yourself.
If You are skint You can go and eat at chippy but it will be more expensive in the end of the day.
I used spend only £40 per week for myself for like 2 months because I saved money to rent bigger house. And I'm not small guy either.

4 pack of beans can be found for £1.
Chicken Kiev 500 grams - 1 pound.
6 tomatoes for £1 too.
John West canned salmon 300 g - £1.
Uncle Benz Rice pouches 2 for £2.
Not the healthiest food but not as poisonous than horse burgers from Tesco.

1 Turkish kebab will cost me more than 6 quid. It takes two of them to feed me for at least 6 hours.
Making food is always cheaper than buying fast food

flamming_python wrote:

Regular wrote:Well fast food in UK is more expensive than food You can make yourself.
If You are skint You can go and eat at chippy but it will be more expensive in the end of the day.
I used spend only £40 per week for myself for like 2 months because I saved money to rent bigger house. And I'm not small guy either.

4 pack of beans can be found for £1.
Chicken Kiev 500 grams - 1 pound.
6 tomatoes for £1 too.
John West canned salmon 300 g - £1.
Uncle Benz Rice pouches 2 for £2.
Not the healthiest food but not as poisonous than horse burgers from Tesco.

1 Turkish kebab will cost me more than 6 quid. It takes two of them to feed me for at least 6 hours.
Making food is always cheaper than buying fast food

Haha, brings me back

I used to raid the Tesco, etc... clearance section whenever I could; you can usually find some cheap packaged meals there.

Favorite staple was spaghetti & pesto sauce (sometimes with some chicken breast too), as well as tuna rice (with mayo and pepper).
When I was truly skint I could buy a whole bag of frozen chicken legs; boil them, roast them... they would last for quite a while. And rice, spaghetti is dirt cheap so those were always the staples of my student diet.

One of my housemates worked in a Thai restaurant; every day he would bring back chicken & rice (while I supplied the tobacco); it was spicy as fuck but I just had to endure it.
Another few friends worked at fish & chips stands/shops; so I usually well supplied when out & about too.