The F-35 is a huge threat to national security. National Review.

A F-35B dropping a bomb. Official Navy photo. 

The F-35 program is such a failure that it could be a threat to the entire defense industry. National Review. With a projected total lifetime cost of $1.5 trillion, we are not getting what we are paying for. The F-35 is slower then the retired F-14 Tomcat, has less range then the A-6 Intruder and the turning performance of an F-4 Phantom. The F-35 program begun in 1994, but 20 years later we still don't have a combat capable airplane. Once hailed as a cheaper alternative to more expensive planes, the cost of the F-35 per unit is approaching the cost of the F-22, but without the capabilities the older fighter has. The manufacturing process for the F-35 is also full of problems, with only 40% of the processes meeting standards. As the F-35 has spent 20 years in development, our competitors have developed countermeasures. The F-35 is designed for long range combat and is dependent on stealth, hard to detect radar and the effectiveness of long range missiles to survive fights. Simulations have shown that Russia's SU-35S, a 4th generation fighter, can best the F-35 in combat with a 10 to 1 kill death ratio. And the SU-35S is inferior to Russia's top of the line PAK T-50. Both fighters have a larger number of more effective missiles then the F-35 as well. Not only is the F-35 an ineffective fighter at its cost, it is diverting much needed money from other programs.

My Comment:

Yet another devastating take down of the F-35. Read it all. I'm largely in agreement with the reports conclusions. We wasted a ton of money on this plane that would have been better spent on other programs. Instead of a jack of all trades fighter that isn't really good at any of its jobs, we should have bought specialized planes for each role. The F-35 might have been a good replacement for the Marine's Harrier, but for anything beyond that it is pretty useless.

The American defense industry has come off as rather arrogant. We are far too dependent on our technology. Our enemies are not. They have developed their own fighters and and countermeasures. And they know what our doctrine is. The idea that we would win in an engagement with the Russians, or even the Chinese, is not as likely as it once was. 

But what are the chances of a war with either of those countries? Though unlikely, it could happen. I am especially concerned about a conflict with China over its various maritime claims, or perhaps even over Taiwan. If such a conflict were to happen in the next few years, it is not at all clear that we would win. Not that anyone would win in a major war between two nuclear powers, but we might lose more then they would. Even if such a conflict is unlikely, it is still possible that Russia and China will sell or share their technology with other countries, which may be U.S. enemies. Imagine Iran or Syria with the PAK T-50.

The F-35 also neuters one of our great military advantages, aircraft carriers. Without an effective dogfighter, the strike capabilities of an aircraft carrier are greatly reduced. After all, a carrier that has all of its fighters shot down is about as useless as a gun without any bullets. Though they will still have defenses due to the various frigates, destroyers and cruisers that make up a modern carrier battle group, they won't be able to attack in any meaningful way. Unlike the airforce, which at least has the F-22 to give some backbone to F-35 attacks, the Navy has nothing. 

The whole situation reminds me of the Vietnam War. Back then we didn't really have an effective dogfighter either. The F-4 Phantom II didn't even have a cannon when it first deployed to the war. That was eventually fixed, but the Vietnamese air force was able to stay in the war, even though their fighters were obsolete. Many more American pilots were captured or killed then would have been if they had an effective dogfighter. The lessons learned in Vietnam led to the development of our F-14's, F-15's, and F-16's, all effective fighters with a scary kill death ratio. Perhaps the only good thing to come from the F-35 debacle is that when it inevitably fails, it will inspire new fighters that will learn from its mistakes...