Originally Posted by
rickair7777
I understand the new capabilities.
My reservation has more to do with the cost, and the need. I'm concerned that we (the taxpayers) are being "up-sold" to counter caps which our near-peers would be very hard-pressed to actually develop in the near/mid-term, or afford in any quantity if they can develop.
I'm Ok with the quality over quantity approach but too much quality gets darn expensive, and too little quantity on our end exposes us to a lot of risk if a weakness develops...or is found and exploited
Rickair,
I can't argue with that. It is expensive and we do not necessarily need it now, but we will need it in the future. The development has to be done at some point. We developed 4 GEN fighters before anyone else and so now we are doing the same. As far as a weakness to exploit there will always be that to contend with, but 5th Gen aircraft have a HUGE piece of that area covered on the electro-magnetic spectrum.
In the end costs is a VERY valid point and is a huge problem across the board in the DoD.
Like I said earlier I am not in love with the F-35, but I have grown to understand it.
One thing to watch, as soon as The Super Hornet line goes cold a lot of the negative F-35 press will go cold with it. Boeing is just as powerful as LM and they do a much better job on the information warfare front.