Thursday, November 05, 2015

Canada's Foote: our intention not to buy F-35 lockheed martin planes & other REAL F-35 news...


via Reuters.
Nov 4 Canada's minister of public services and procurement Foote says:* It remains our intention not to buy F-35 Lockheed Martin Corp planes (Reporting By Leah Schnurr)
Now I think I understand why Allison Barrie did the fluff piece at the behest of the F-35 program office.  But if you think that's the end of the bad news check out these stories....
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: One of America's Worst Fighter Jets Ever?
The US Navy officials have reaffirmed plans to procure an additional 24 to 36 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets through fiscal year 2018
Pentagon, McCain weigh cuts to number of F-35’s
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the head of Senate Armed Services Committee and a frequent critic of the F-35 program, said the numbers the Pentagon has been quoting are inflated.
“There’s just not going to be that many,” McCain said.

In an interview, McCain said the Pentagon has to look “realistically” at how many weapons systems it can afford.
“The question is, at the present cost, can we afford as many F-35s?” he asked.
McCain said he will press the Pentagon to determine how many planes the services need.
Yeah.

This program is in some serious trouble.  What I find most interesting is the Navy's position.  For every Super Hornet they buy, that's at least one less F-35 that they can program.  They're playing some serious Pentagon politics to reduce the number of stealth fighters that they'll have.  The Navy has arrived on a decision with the F-35 and apparently they aren't sold.  With budget wars looming I can see this turning nasty. 

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