Delete comment from: Elements Of Power
Earlydawn:
RE: Cost and Full Order
The key to the cost is not whether or not the current ‘total buy’ stands. The key will be how fast the production rate can be ramped up to maximum velocity. I don’t think I’d be too far out on a limb to say that the reduced lot buys made as a ‘risk reduction’ so far have contributed greatly to the LRIP cost increases to date, just as stretching SDD has increased SDD costs. It costs money to run a production line at below capacity AND you can’t get a learning curve unless you start putting a curve to the production.
RE: how “willing commanders will be to forward-base” ($60M aircraft). We (and especially the Marines) don’t buy things we don’t intend to use. These same fears had been posited by the media for the B-1, B-2, C-5, and V-22 (oh and Tomahawk missile) prior to their employment – it’s like a boilerplate story that gets pulled out for the weapon system du jour. If we build it , they will bomb.
Aug 4, 2011, 12:22:55 AM
Posted to F35B Agitprop ala Sweetman