Is troubled F-35 caught in a ‘death spiral’?

[unhappycamper]

http://www.worldmag.com/2014/02/is_troubled_f_35_caught_in_a_death_spiral



Is troubled F-35 caught in a ‘death spiral’?
By Michael F. Cochrane
Posted Feb. 10, 2014, 02:50 p.m.

The controversial F-35 program took another blow last week when the Navy requested a break from producing F-35C, its variant of the problem-plagued and expensive Joint Strike Fighter.

Congressional sources said officials with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) worry the 3-year break will lead to a permanent end to the program, according to Politico. Critics have targeted the program in recent years because of high costs and technical problems during development and testing. Last month, a Pentagon report revealed “significant findings” of cracks developing in multiple locations on two of the test aircraft. Fixes may require redesigned parts, which could add additional weight—already a concern for the fighter jet. Also, the report said “measures of reliability and maintainability are all below program target values for the current stage of development.”

The F-35 program has cost nearly $400 billion since its inception in 1996. Estimates of the 55-year lifecycle cost for the entire F-35 fleet range from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion, making it the most expensive weapons program in history.


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So we've already spent $400,000,000,000 on this crap? Time to pack it in, boys.

[msongs]

1. if it is "problem plagued", time to ask for a refund from the war profiteers who make it nt