Delete comment from: Elements Of Power
Gripen is a powerful example indeed though the development was not very short, and puts military aircraft development in all of NATO to shame.
More importantly, the F-35 development costs, production costs, length of delays, manners of LM (in regard to lobbying, producing propaganda itself etc.) add a lot to the opposition. Other programs don't need to be perfect for the F-35 program to be considered poor value.
Part of the problem is that F-35s are being delivered at high costs with very much limited capability. Planes with such limitations used to be considered as prototypes, not as "in service". The military pays the full (and elevated) price for them, yet gets less military utility out of them than from legacy types.
This story about flight controls not having unlocked full agility yet despite low rate production for eight years is embarrassing.
The program gets the cirtics it deserves.
Jul 2, 2015, 7:21:57 AM
Posted to David Axe is More Boring Than Ever (Bless His Heart)