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USAF Problems with Congress and the Pentagon

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Webmaster:

--- Quote from: iluveagles on April 21, 2008, 05:28:05 AM ---Yes other countries are putting money into it, but cutting funding to buy less jets for the U.S. would have no effect on other countries purchasing it. Regardless, each country pays and gets what they pay for.

--- End quote ---

No, why do you think that? First of all, if US would have to cut down funding of the program right now, development time and production run up will take longer because of lack of funding, which means every other country depending on the JSF to replace an ageing fleet will suffer, or need to put more money into it themselves. Secondly, the return on investment of participating nations depends for probably at least for 50% on the US buying 2400 jets. So it has a big impact on the successfulness of the program as a business case, especially since some 20% depends on prospected sales which are probably unlikely or slow to materialize. That will probably mean they can't sustify more funding. Anyway that's the business side for the partner countries.
If we look at the countries governments/airforces, then we have the unit price. If the US cuts its requirement, then the burden carried by each aircraft of the huge development cost will increase (LM and co. still have to make money), making the unit cost much higher than anticipated by many countries. The result is that they will cut their orders, probably making it even more expensive for others. This is not the Eurofighter program where everyone is locked into buying a certain amount. Finally, if the US cuts down (heavily) on the JSF, then much more uncertainty about its capabilities and further sustainability will arise.

Still, having said that, there's probably some room to cut down the final number of JSF for the US. But not on orders for the next 10 years, and especially not on investment in development/testing/production run-up, as that will hurt the USAF as well as the allies.

Again, I'm not against more F-22s, I can see why they want them.

iluveagles:
What I am suggesting is not to cut the funding for the development stage of the program, but to cut the funding for the amount of jets that we buy. Which would have no effect on other countries buying it. The development continues as planned and then we just buy less. Thats all I mean.

The in the Eurofighter program everyone, but Britain backed out; how do you figure they were all locked in?

Gripen:
Didnt all the countries that backed out get massive fines?

iluveagles:
They may have, but some how I doubt it............they had already put a ton of money into the development and since they backed out before the aircraft had been produced it wouldn't be a huge issue.

But it is possible...........

tigershark:
Eurofighter - Sadly I feel this aircraft that just came out too late will have a short life span overall compared to other fighters of it's day mainly because of the F-35.  Time will tell but I think the F-35 and the later upgrades/updates to the aircraft and systems with over shadow anything flying at least in the 4th generation line of fighters.

F-22 - Reading all the positive things about it seems unbeatable as a fighter but future enemy fighter numbers or threats are down.  The F-22 will have to go the F-15E route on some levels because there just isn't that many high end Flankers in the world today as major threats.  The Chinese J-10s are still a Block or two behind still without a modern radar and proven Chinese made engines.  China may have numbers on there side at one point but modern fighter usually beat up on older tech/fighters in general, if some war broke out.  The F-22 will have to take on a duel role I think in the next five years or less or sadly or more might never be built.   Russia only up to building hop up Flankers so the need for 300 F-22 just isn't there don't get me wrong the aircraft is great and truly the best.  Building more for US mainland defense not needed really so they can take pictures of old Bear bombers?   F-15/16/18 come out very nicely in the pictures too taken by the Russian crews.  I think the air force needs to get a Block-II duel role F-22 out there fast.

F-35 - Can't see this being cut not with so many countries involved plus waiting for our own forces to get there's.  The F-35 may not be the fancy fighter type we all want to see hey I'm a huge F-15C fan but lets face F-16s get more work.  No reason the F-35 wouldn't take over this slot so it makes sense to build more and do it faster.  We all read articels about how the F-16 are getting old I think we just live in the duel purpose world of aircraft and the days of the mighty F-15C are over.  Not because we lack the abilities to build such aircraft we could build the best fighters in the world and I think the US proved that with the F-22 hands down.  It's the lack of threats in large volumes and modern air warfare just changed. 

I think in the future weapons will change and not far from now newer stealth weapons will be operational.  Bombs/missiles will be more powerful like a 1,000 bombs converts to a 200lbs weapon.   Sounds crazy but I think that's the path for the F-22/F-35 and other new weapons platforms.

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