@ISIDEWITHQuestionsForeign policyStarted 8yrs agoActive 5 days ago

Should the government cancel production of the F-35 fighter?

The F-35 fighter is a stealth fighter jet being produced for the U.S. military by The Lockheed Martin corporation. Three variations of the single seat stealth fighter jet are being produced for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. By 2037 2,457 F-35’s will be delivered to the military and will fly until they retire from service in 2070. The research, development and construction of the F-35 will be the most expensive military weapons program in the history of the U.S. When the F-35 retires in 2070 analysts estimate that the cost of the program will have exceeded $1.5 trillion. Oppone…  

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24%
Yes
76%
No
24%
Yes
76%
No

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from Transhumanist voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @8JCJLWV from Texas  answered…5yrs5Y

Listen to military experts on this

 @8D2PMVD from Indiana  answered…5yrs5Y

Not unless needed.

 @7PTCG38 from Wisconsin  answered…2yrs2Y

No, the program is too far into production and service to cancel, but revise procurement procedures to avoid out of control and mismanaged costs with future military weapons programs

 @9RXTZK8 from Arizona  answered…9mos9MO

yes. i’m sure the military can find some other non functional military equipment to squander our taxes on.

 @9CD7JJ3 from Virginia  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes but first fund development of a better replacement aircraft and only discontinue when the new planes are ready.

 @98HKVLP from Pennsylvania  answered…2yrs2Y

No, but dramatically decrease production

 @9PT6LY3 from North Carolina  answered…10mos10MO

No, since cancellation would cost more than finishing at this point, but we should find ways to cut production costs and take our deficit into account in the future

 @9L4Z23B  from Pennsylvania  answered…1yr1Y

No, but all government contracts currently active and all future contracts should be reviewed all ensure there is no price gouging or no cost overruns

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 @GnuJimfrom Georgia  submitted…1yr1Y

Biden Slashes F-35 Jet Order 18%

U.S. President Joe Biden wants an 18% cut in the number of F-35 jets the Pentagon buys next year after Congress' cap on the size of the upcoming defense budget compelled the administration to find savings, two sources familiar with the situation said.The Pentagon order for Lockheed Martin's (LMT.N), opens new tab stealthy fighter will drop to below 70, down from an expected order of 83, for an estimated $1.6 billion drop in spending on jets.The drop in F-35 orders could impact the big defense contractor, which earns about a quarter of its revenue from the jet program. International demand for the jets, which cost somewhere between $80 million to about $120 million each depending on the type, remains strong.Biden's overall defense and national security budget request is expected to be $895 billion, the sources said, compelling deep cuts in a wide range of programs, delays to existing programs and slowing efforts to build weapons stocks depleted by wars in Ukraine and Israel.Budget negotiations between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the White House's Office of Management and Budget have largely concluded, but the final amount could change before the budget request is expected to be unveiled on March 11, the sources added.The Pentagon's comptroller declined to comment, and the Joint Program office, which runs the F-35 program, also declined to comment.Last year, the Pentagon projected it would buy 83 of the stealthy F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin for $9.8 billion.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…1yr1Y

Cost of Sustaining Lockheed’s F-35 Jet Now Forecast to Exceed $1.5 Trillion

The world’s costliest weapons program, Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 fighter jet, is getting even more expensive, according to a government watchdog.Nine years after the Marine Corps declared its first F-35s operational, the Pentagon now projects that the cost of operating and maintaining the jet through 2088 will be $1.58 trillion, 44% higher than originally forecast in 2018, the Government Accountability Office said Monday in a new assessment.It’s another troubling sign for the F-35, which is billed as the stealthiest and most advanced fighter jet ever and sits at the center of US war planning. Despite its high price tag and maintenance issues, the US and several allied governments — including Israel — already fly hundreds of F-35’s, and it played an important role in helping repel a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones aimed at Israel over the weekend.The GAO report paints a troubling picture of the plane’s readiness, saying that inadequate training, a lack of spare parts and support equipment and a heavy reliance on contractors mean all three services that deploy the jet — the Air Force, Marines and Navy — project they will be able to fly the F-35 less often than originally hoped.One major driver of maintenance costs is the Pentagon’s heavy reliance on Lockheed for support, the GAO said. The sustaining support cost element, which captures most sustainment costs associated with the contractor, is a large portion of the F-35. The Pentagon “is seeking expanded government control over the program to reduce program costs and improve program performance,” it said.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…5mos5MO

Israel Sinks Syria's Navy

Israel said Tuesday that it had destroyed Syria’s navy in overnight airstrikes, as it continued to pound targets in Syria despite warnings that its operations there could ignite new conflict and jeopardize the transition of power to an interim government.Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said that the Israeli military had “destroyed Syria’s navy overnight, and with great success.” His remarks appeared to confirm Israel’s responsibility for the destruction documented in the Syrian port city of Latakia, where photos showed the smoldering remains of ships sunk at their dock.Mr. Katz said that Israel’s military “has been operating in Syria in recent days to hit and destroy strategic capabilities that pose a threat to Israel,” although he did not indicate what new or immediate risk Syria’s navy presented to Israel, which has the most powerful military in the Middle East.Israeli warplanes have conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, according to war monitors. Israel has characterized its operations as defensive, saying its military was striking suspected chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria to prevent them from falling “into the hands of extremists.”“From here, I warn the rebel leaders in Syria: Those who follow Assad’s path will end like Assad,” Mr. Katz said.As the Assad government fell to the rebels over the weekend, Israeli ground forces advanced beyond the demilitarized zone on the Israel-Syria border, marking their first overt entry into Syrian territory in more than 50 years. An Israeli military spokesman on Tuesday denied reports that the military was advancing on Damascus. The spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said the military was inside a buffer zone between Israel and Syria and at other points “in order to protect the Israeli border.”Earlier Tuesday, Geir Pedersen, the United Nations special envoy for Syria, called on Israel to halt its “very troubling” military operations there, and said de-escalation was needed. “We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop,” Mr. Pedersen told reporters in Geneva.

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