Italian minister defends F-35 jet purchase on eve of tense vote

[unhappycamper]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/25/us-italy-politics-f-idUSBRE95O12Q20130625



Italian minister defends F-35 jet purchase on eve of tense vote
By Paolo Biondi and Steve Scherer
ROME | Tue Jun 25, 2013 1:06pm EDT

(Reuters) - Italy's cash-strapped government plans to go ahead with purchasing 90 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, Defense Minister Mario Mauro said on Tuesday, ahead of a vote that risks splitting the ruling coalition.

The lower house of parliament is due to vote on Wednesday on a motion, presented last month by opposition groups and some members of Prime Minister Enrico Letta's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), that calls on Italy to drop the fighter investment.

~snip~

Last year, Italy cut its F-35 order to 90 warplanes from the 131 it had agreed to buy more than a decade ago, a move it said would save 5 billion euros as it sought to reduce Defense spending to shore up its accounts during the economic slump.

With the country still in recession, the money saved by eliminating a single F-35 could be used to build 387 day care centers or renovate 258 schools, according to the motion signed by 158 lawmakers who want to scrap the deal.



unhappycamper comment: It's a guns or butter debate. I vote butter.

[Sherman A1]

1. I believe the flying pig graphic

is very fitting. This a/c needs to simply be defunded everywhere.

[Democracyinkind]

2. One third paid for by Lockheed

Another third paid for by saab

The last third paid for by Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH

All very democratic. And necessary. Absolutely necessary. You never know when Abessinia might strike back. I say ESSERE PRONTO!!!!!