Posted on 11/23/2018 2:36:09 PM PST by Mariner
After years of cost overruns and criticism, the US military has started to deploy its stealth-enabled F-35 fighter jet. To communicate that message in no uncertain terms, the Air Force's 388th and 419th Fighter Wings carried out combat exercises meant to test the capabilities of their F-35As. The drill started off with an "Elephant Walk" that placed 36 of the jets (one is missing in this photo) on the runway all at once, worth $3 billion, at least at the current $90 million per airplane price.
Apart from creating an intimidating photo, the Air Force wanted to confirm its ability to quickly mass a force against air and ground targets, while showing off the F-35A's lethality. Both are the first combat-ready fighter wings with the jet and need to be able to deploy anywhere in the world at the drop of a hat.
As intimidating as the F-35As look on the ground, it's on another level to see them do a flyby (below). Launching at 20 to 40 second intervals, they flew the planes in multiple formations like flocks of incredibly violent geese, with all 36 airborne in just 11 minutes. "We are ready to fight tonight, and exercising with multiple squadrons of F-35s can demonstrate our ability to defeat potential adversaries wherever they may arise," exercise leader Major Caleb Guthmann told the Standard-Examiner.
(Excerpt) Read more at engadget.com ...
Who thinks we should be buying F-15s and F-16s and F-18s now?
Really, as good as the F-15c is, and it is an excellent air superiority fighter, who would buy one of them and forgo an F-35A?
Sure we'd like to have a modernized F-22, but that program has not even been proposed.
Yet.
Unit cost of an f-15 is around 30 million per jet but that was 20 years ago. A Quarter the price (Roughly!) to an F-35 without factoring inflation. It was Introduced 1976 over 40 years ago and has been retrofitted since.
Unit cost of an F-16 is approaching 20 million (I’m surprised at how cheap they are, but we export these so maybe that’s because replacement orders are cheap) about 1/5th the price of a F-35. But again, the F-16 is a 40 year old platform with lots of retrofits.
F-22s are about 150 million, as per Wikipedia. That’s a lot of money for a fighter platform.
F-35s are around 90-115 million depending on the service variant. They introduce a new level of options because they are a stealthy platform. So I think its worth the investment if not to augment our current military.
“Two fighter wings and only 36 aircraft capable of taxying?”
Because they only displayed 36 you think that’s all they can muster?
If so, why?
Obama made sure it will never happen. They destroyed the tooling.
14 of the most advanced F-16’s with targeting pods and ordnance just sold for $2.91 billion.
You can buy them stripped in serial production for about $75 mil per copy.
How long were they then grounded for maintenance?
How many didn’t take part? Only 35 airplanes for two wings?? That’s about half.
Nice pics, but it says ZIP about their lethality.
Apparently the F-35 can’t dogfight worth a damn, but (supposedly) enemy fighters won’t even be able to get close to ‘em. I have heard that one before. Color me skeptical.
Those 36 F-35’s could erase any other airforce in the world in a few hours. Now, I do think it was a horribly wasteful project: my preference was some more F-22’s and a bunch of “busses” (B-52s) once the air is clear. But it really is a spectacular aircraft.
Include the C-5A, the E-3 AWACS, the F-111 and the F-22 to your list of “boondoggles” detractors claimed.
Whoever told you that is ignorant or an idiot. Add a gun pod and they are lethal in close quarters. Use their upgraded missiles, and close quarters does not happen.
Again, I think it was the wrong choice, but they are VERY lethal.
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Because , Trump
That the F35 is an outstanding aircraft is not in doubt, the question always was price -performance and if we could afford enough of them to make a difference
At 80 million a ship, the F-35 is a smoking deal
Only Donald Trump could have cut through the Government/LMCO pricing CF and delivered the F35 at an “affordable” (ie originally projected price point).
This is what happens when prices are negotiated by a negotiator acting in the interests of the country as opposed the interests of politicians demanding bribes or demanding contributions to their campaigns or their foundations
That’s probably the export mark up price + bells and whistles, weapons and start up support infrastructure tools and equipment, plus training
That has to be expensive, but its more than a per unit price. Today, I don’t doubt they cost 75 Mil, or over.
My prices are 20 y/old references to a 40+ y/old platform.
Why? Because it says the purpose was to create an “intimidating photo”.
Actually, I’d guess that both wings will have more aircraft as the come off the line but for now they have two separate wings with “enough” aircraft to start.
Interesting, any idea how much it cost per hour of flight time, for each variant?
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1. This A/V should not be sold to any foreign government. It entirely too classified and costly to sell and the A/V could fall into the wrong hands..
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