Cancel the F35 Fighter Program The fiscal cliff or may I suggest speed bump and down slope is a much needed opportunity to get our spending priorities, tax policies and budget in order. It’s time to spend our money on things really needing doing. For example the F35 fighter program should be cancelled after a run of 400 planes and the money invested in R&D and production for next generation unmanned aviation programs. Unmanned aircraft have many advantages such as longer mission duration, higher g turns, near instantaneous computerized threat analysis and response and the option of 1 way missions if needed. We have been at peace with Canada and Mexico for over 100 years, the Soviet bear is in hibernation and broken up while China seeks to build up economically. Any worries about a China military build up could be met with admission for Russia into NATO. A huge US fighter and air tanker buildup for an air superiority campaign over China is misguided and poorly conceived. China is a trading nation needing access to the high seas to import much needed raw materials such as iron ore, coal, coke, oil, natural gas and export finished products. In fact, as the world becomes more interdependent economically war becomes less likely. Look what the Common Market and EU has done for Europe. No sense in sending our brave men and women into battle with 2nd rate F35 hardware. Loose an engine on an F35 and you’re throwing away ~$300 million, and perhaps the pilot too, but not with the twin engine F-18 or F-22. The F-22 out turns a F35, the F22 has better super cruise capability. The numbers appear to be classified but with much greater thrust from 2 engines the F-22 has higher top speed and altitude and only the F-22 has thrust vectoring. The top speed may be limited due to air frictional heating of the airframe. Our military spending should match a perceived and real threat, not based on just in case something important and unforeseen happens so we’ll need 3000 F35s. The Euro Fighter is a better fighter but with less stealth. The F35 is like a Swiss army knife, a jack of all trades but master of none; however it does appear to be the world’s fastest helicopter with limited lift capability. A next gen fighter should have a canard for greater maneuverability, twin engines to limp home if one fails, stealth, super cruise, thrust vectoring and internal weapon stores. For further reference: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_X-47B https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurofighter_Typhoon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-37 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-47
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 23:28:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015