The most expensive weapon system of all times

[Glock30Eric]

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

Funny, I just wrote a research paper about whether or not our funding being funneled into "Defense" (which also includes a separate budget for offense ) is being used efficiently. This paper was talked about in january and the first thing that came to my mind was the F-35 program, and i'm using it as a prime example of the horrible inefficiencies of the DOD. I found quite a few links that stated the wide reaching effects of this disaster of a program, unfortunately i already have written and submitted my paper, so i didn't get to use this source.

The F-35 Program nearly doubled in cost, we are now receiving less aircraft than originally planned, the full-rate production date has been set back 7 years to 2019, cost per aircraft doubled, aircraft are experiencing huge setbacks, manufacturing defects, haven't gotten through all of it's testing, ect. How can the pentagon be left to waste money on this program?!

Exactly!

[Skybird]

Guys, I have tried often enough to explain in past threads what the difference between "explicit debt" and implicit debt" is.

You better start to understand that the latter is far more important - and threatening - than the first. Ypou have to multiply the harmless debts they use to quote in the media by factors between 5 and 20, depending on the industry nation you chose.

In the past, when the competition on the global economy market was easier for the West, and taxes were flowing rich, and economy was fine - already then all states made debts. If even in the easiest and best and wealthiest of times states did not manage to control their debts, how could you assume that in an economic environment far more difficult and much more fought over, with higher debts and interests, a much bigger crisis, a much more meaningless currency of non-value, a multiple times as disadvantageous volume relation between real material values and FIAT money, in short: with every variable being far far more disadvantageous - how could you assume that in this harder situation budgets and debts and deficits and all that will improve...?

You already have not flown by will-power alone when you jump out of the window in the past. You instead broke your bones. And now some of you seem to think that the trick nevertheless will work if you jump off the peak of Mount Everest - because it is higher and the challenge presses your mind power more intense to fly?

Well, in times when you get a "suspect" marker stamped on your intel file when you have not a certain amount of red numbers on your banking accounts and do not have a credit card, and when many people "solve" their debt issues by shifting the debts of one credit card to the next and do this over four, five cards and more, and their banks even encourage them to do so, maybe I could not expect more indeed. Miracle belief will save us, no doubt. Or, as Oberon put it, digging until we reach China.

Ecplicit debts are just destracting. The compare to the tip of the iceberg you see above the water surface. Implict debts is what you must focus on instead - the many many times as huge bulk of the iceberg hidden below the surface: its mere volume, and the time dimension that it implies, because implicit debts realise over time, inevitably. The current states of things say little. The momentum says all.

[Glock30Eric]

^^^ Yup it is like the Titanic hit the iceberg but it wasn't sure if it had hit it, so they had to make a second run into iceberg to make sure that the ship got hit by an iceberg. LOL. it is true.

[MH]

The whole dark prognosis about implict debt is just prognosis. Not neccessary meaning that it all will happen.Bush administration had put usa in this mess with tax reduction and increased spendings but things can change now.

[Glock30Eric]

Originally Posted by MH

The whole dark prognosis about implict debt is just prognosis. Not neccessary meaning that it all will happen.Bush administration had put usa in this mess with tax reduction and increased spendings but things can change now.

The problems went all way back to 1913 when USA legislative branch established Federal Reserve Bank, then the problem grew worse when President Nixon in 1971 removed the gold standard in USA's currency, and then President Clinton enabled the reckless bank practice in 1994-2002, where the housing bubble grew in accordance with our GDP expanding like a crazy lighting bolt.

Yeah blame President Bush for everything.... Is President Bush the scapegoat for every problems that we have?

EDIT: President Bush stole the idea from President Reagan with the cutting taxes and increase defense spendings. President Reagan is far worse than President Bush if you take the inflation adjustment in the picture.

[Glock30Eric]

Originally Posted by Bilge_Rat

all very nice, but it has nothing to do with the F35.

current funding for the F35 program was U.S. $11.4 billion for the 2011 year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militar..._United_States

yes, a nice chunk of change, but cutting the program will have only a small impact on the deficit. In addition, the program is a one time cost, once the aircrafts are purchased, you are only talking about maintenance/repair.

The largest item in the budget is the war in Afghanistan, still U.S. $159.3 Billion in 2011.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financi...f_the_Iraq_War

Once the troops are home, that expense goes way down.

In addition, its not just a U.S. problem, many countries have to replace their aging fighter fleet. Canada will have to make a decision soon on replacing its CF-18s. Australia just paid AUS $2.9 billion for 24 F/A-18Fs, which works out to US $141 million per plane. Compared to that, the estimated US $150-175 million per plane for the CTOL F-35A looks like a bargain, especially since it will have a useful design life of at least 20 years longer than the F/A-18.

No matter how you look it, cutting new equipment spending is the least efficient way to balance a budget.

Well. I really don't think we need F-35. Our ships can take an enemy plane down easily with our long range missiles. Missiles are way cheaper than a plane with manned pilot.

Abolish F-35 and buy a massive amount of missiles like a ratio 10 missiles for every a fighter plane in the world. It will take care of it self. If they evaded one missile then they should be expecting nine more coming at them, furiously.

We need a long range bombers and really good CAS plane like A-10 to minimize the budget with very effective military force.

IMO, the fighter/bomber obsoleted the battleship in WW2. Right now a high tech missile obsoleted the planes and carriers. I don't think there will be a way to obsolete a submarine near in future, unless they send out a massive unmanned submarine/mine drones in the whole ocean part.

NAVAIR is developing unmanned air drone and it could downsize the carrier and planes.

[MH]

[gimpy117]

Originally Posted by Skybird

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...136312,00.html

The new dream weapon of air-based warfare? Well - mine not.

they mean "the most expensive weapon system we hope gets built"

lol that A/C is a folly. Too many features crammed into one airframe.