and is quite vulnerable in a variety of combat conditions. So testified by the lead test pilots. It cannot perform the most basic jobs it was built to do in bad weather, cannot fire the cannon or missiles consistently or accurately, cannot carry 1/2 the payload of older jets now in service, nor carry a meaningful load without degrading its stealth capacity, nor out-perform several types of planes in service here and abroad in any but the most favorable conditions. It uses more fuel to get aloft due to excessive weight. It will not be combat capable for several years at least due to the time it will take to resolve technical issues and myriad control code problems. The only reason it has been accepted for service is because approval changes the conditions of development and money sourcing and locks out the options that would allow it to be stopped. At a recent test simulating field deployment only one of 6 planes was able to fire up and make it to the starting line for take off, after multiple delays and reboots of the guidance, flight control and defensive systems computers.
This plane has been in development for twice as long as any previous aircraft. Rather than build 3 dedicated aircraft that would perform the roles the F-35 does at lower cost and with shorter project time they have packaged all of them into one airframe which has made the plane incredibly complex and unnecessarily heavy. In the time it has taken to develop it opposing forces have discovered and developed alternate and modified RADAR methods to defeat or reduce the stealth advantages claimed for this design. Several allies have had second thoughts about buying the F-35 based on current performance and on future maintenance costs, a factor that is regularly overlooked in reviews of the plane.
Trump will be a disaster for all of us on many levels but his comments about wasted money and the F-35 are on target. It is overpriced pork barrel in the worst traditions of weapons procurement. Worse than that it is a turkey that cannot perform the job it was built to do which puts the aircrews in danger and American citizens depending on it for defense at risk.
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