…and we are selling it to the People’s Republic of Italy? I don’t get it.

F35 Lightning II Flight Testing and STOVL Capabilities

Where did you get your aerospace engineering degree? The F-35, while not the overwhelming superior aircraft that the F-22 is at least it isn’t cost prohibitive as the F-22, the f-35 is still hands down superior to any other aircraft in the world it could come up against. The JSF stands for Joint Strike Fighter. It is an American and Nato alliance made aircraft. Multiple nations are involved in design and manufacturing of components. The JSF is jointly funded by the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, The Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Australia and Turkey (does that answer your question Egfrow?). Lockheed is NOT selling an American plane to the People Republic of anything. Lockheed was awarded the contract to build this plane for these NATO allies funded by those Nato Allies. The F-35 outperforms the F-16 in it’s roles and the A-10 in it’s roles, an amazing feat to say the least. This will be a plane that will be in the service of the US navy, air force, marine corps and the United Kingdom along with the rest of the Nato allies listed, a single aircraft has never had so many different roles. To say the F-35 isn’t a great fighter is myopic at best, I won’t say what it is at worst.

I was under the same impression, that’s why I made the comment. Frankly, I’d shitcan the F-35 in favor of the F-22 and more bombers. I wish the AF would focus in on the war a little more. Right now we need bombs and bullets. Better bombs, and more of them. We need more bombers to support the warfighter on the ground.

If I was an FO on the ground I’d much rather have an A-10 respond to a danger close mission than an F-35.

I don’t mind opening up new technology vistas. I just think that the services spend too much money on toys and too little money on the tools we need right now to fight this war.

Give me MRAP II’s, a better M-16 round, more armor-piercing ammo, more sniper rifles, more COIN training, more M-1’s, more personnel, more helicopters, more replacement parts.
Replace Guard losses and build them back up to what they were back at home station. More money for recruiting…more bonuses, more EOD people, more Engineer vehicles more and better IED detection equipment. More money for training. Finish BRAC.

Give me their fucking budget and I’ll show you a better way.
Because ALL of my priority items would be warfighter first, and future shit last.

Hey Jay, Are you directly involved in bringing the JSF to our forces? Lockheed Martin Fort Worth employee? Just curious, that’s where I live, many of my friends work there.