Air Force General Challenges Trump Over the F-35
Source: The Fiscal Times
Donald Trump isnt his commander-in-chief quite yet, so on Monday the U.S. Air Force general in charge of the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program pushed back against the president-elects comments from last week describing production of the state-of-the-art plane.
Trump had attacked the program on Twitter, saying The F-35 program and cost is out of control. Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th. The tweet came less than a week after the incoming president attacked another major Air Force contract -- the deal with Boeing to upgrade the presidential plane, Air Force One.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan said, This program is not out of control. He added, I would like to explain to the new administration this is a vastly different program from 2011.
Bogdan was referring to a time when many of the cost overruns with the program peaked. While the program still faces considerable criticism from within and without the Pentagon, Bogdan insisted that it has been dramatically reformed in recent years.
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Read more: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2016/12/20/Air-Force-General-Challenges-Trump-Over-F-35
The Polack MSgt
(13,254 posts)Trying to fulfill multiple mission with one platform, and getting mediocre results on all of them.
Response to jpak (Original post)
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yallerdawg
(16,104 posts)cannot possibly understand the myriad regulations and procurement policies of Federal purchasing which is even more complicated by which agency - in this case, Air Force/DoD - is doing the purchasing.
It's mindboggling what this jackass says, and can't possibly know!
Corrupt Trump is tweeting out his ass - probably while sitting on his Elvis-memorial golden throne doin' his daily constitutional.
I wonder if conviction of "high crimes and misdemeanors" is just removal from office, or a prison sentence, too?
Kolesar
(31,182 posts)tammywammy
(26,582 posts)He thinks that government contracting is the same as commercial. He hasn't realized that the government is provided historical and actual cost data in defense contracting.
yallerdawg
(16,104 posts)Something so unique, so specific, so new, so technologically-advanced the contractor is trying to forecast pricing on things that don't exist?
And things are not always what they appear to be - a $600 hammer can be hiding Top Secret expensing the DoD doesn't want to itemize for foreign review.
I can't wait for this Precedent Trump tweet:
Stealth planes being made by aliens in Area 51. They're taking our jobs! No more. Sending back to Mexico. Believe me!
JudyM
(29,409 posts)AlabamaLibertarian
(2 posts)You understand the process better than most.
I am always irritated by people who cite the cost of the entire program (support, maintenance, etc) over the life of the plan as the current cost.
I'm really glad these "watchdogs" weren't around during the Apollo programs.
There is enormous political pressure supporting the F35 program, but I think the best way to support, or oppose, something is to be factually accurate and as complete as possible.
FairWinds
(1,717 posts)real Democrats should have been on this
wagon a long time ago.
Hope he goes after the littoral navy too.
DK504
(3,847 posts)doesn't have 1 working finished model of the F-35. And all the different arms of the military want their very own special make for them in particular. Maybe if one unfinished damn plane didn't cost 100 billion, yeah with a B in BILLIONS, they may have a leg to stand on.
Response to DK504 (Reply #11)
tammywammy This message was self-deleted by its author.
AlabamaLibertarian
(2 posts)I'm not sure that I understand your post because nearly 200 F-35's are flying from about ten different bases.
trc
(823 posts)this fighter program has a project (parts or other items) being made in every congressional district in the US...This is the kind of spending for corporate welfare that has got to stop. And I read yesterday that the Navy can't afford the ammunition for the newest navy attack vessel (4 billion for the single ship alone), only $800,000 a round [link:http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a23738/uss-zumwalt-ammo-too-expensive/|
msongs
(67,852 posts)neohippie
(1,142 posts)It's a new reality Twitter show, and Trump has to get all military purchases approved by the Kremlin now that he has allied with Putin