Is F-35 going to be scrapped? Pilots say can't see out of cockpit

[AAAintheBeltway]

Quote from PiggyBank:

I didn't even read the article, but I always wondered what the point of the F-35 was anyway. I know they say it was to fill multiple roles and at a lower cost than the Raptor, but I also read somewhere that it isn't as capable. And I believe this was developed by and for the service of multiple nations. What's the point of a new, advanced fighter if others have it as well?

Personally, I really don't care about the air force capabilities of other nations, and I view this as a waste of money. Another thing, I'm sick of seeing these US Navy commercials and their motto "a global force for good"... since when? Our military is paid for by us, and it is to be used in defense of this country, not travel the globe looking for problems to solve (or start).

Same here. I am not some Code Pink anti-american pacifist or worse. But do we really need to spend more than the next 25 countries combined on defense, particularly since most of them are considered our allies?

And what real use is an ultra expensive next gen fighter plane anyway? It's too expensive to risk against an advanced air defense system. What we have now is already superior to anything else out there. And aren't 25 high performance drones superior to one manned fighter for the same or lower cost?

 

[pspr]

Quote from gwb-trading:

This is a hit piece from the press in Canada. In Canada there is a sizeable political coalition that is opposed to the purchase of the F-35, and want to build a 'domestic fighter' themselves. This group avails themselves of every opportunity to disparage the F-35 in Ottawa and in the media.

Does Canada even have the capability to build a fighter aircraft? I think Mexico uses some old F-5's in case they need to fight Belize or something.

 

[tomdavis]

Quote from PiggyBank:

I didn't even read the article, but I always wondered what the point of the F-35 was anyway.

The "point" of the F-35 is to replace the F-14 (retired from service), F-15 & F-16 (40 year-old designs) and F-18 & AV-8B II (30 year-old designs). Whether or not the F-35 will accomplish that mission remains to be seen.

 

[Fractals 'R Us]

Israelis won the most lopsided military action in history flying over the Bakka Valley. They took American fighter planes and added all kinds of stuff, things like rear view mirrors from auto parts stores, just stuff they thought of.

People that worry that the US spends too much on defense don't get that our biggest export is military weaponry. The R$D is on the taxpayers but the money comes back into the country.

 

[Lucrum]

Quote from pspr:

Does Canada even have the capability to build a fighter aircraft?

Why would Canada even need fighters?

 

[tomdavis]

Quote from Lucrum:

Why would Canada even need fighters?

They're sick and tired of Canadian winters. I hear they're planning on invading Mexico.

 

[pspr]

Quote from tomdavis:

They're sick and tired of Canadian winters. I hear they're planning on invading Mexico.

Yes. They've been reading my threads about the coming Global Cooling. The Canadians are running scared!

 

[PiggyBank]

Quote from tomdavis:

The "point" of the F-35 is to replace the F-14 (retired from service), F-15 & F-16 (40 year-old designs) and F-18 & AV-8B II (30 year-old designs). Whether or not the F-35 will accomplish that mission remains to be seen.

I thought the F-18 replaced the F-14 and has been significantly upgraded since it was initially developed, and I believe the F-22 was designed to be the successor to the F-15 and F-16.

Anyway, I still don't see the point of building advanced hardware and sharing it with others, it defeats the purpose imo.

 

[tomdavis]

Quote from PiggyBank:

I thought the F-18 replaced the F-14 and has been significantly upgraded since it was initially developed, and I believe the F-22 was designed to be the successor to the F-15 and F-16.

Anyway, I still don't see the point of building advanced hardware and sharing it with others, it defeats the purpose imo.

The F-18, despite its upgrades, is still a 30+ year-old design. The F-22 program has been stopped. The purpose of sharing the F-35 with others is to get them to share the cost.

 

[gwb-trading]

Quote from pspr:

Does Canada even have the capability to build a fighter aircraft? I think Mexico uses some old F-5's in case they need to fight Belize or something.

Bombardier with some other partners would love to get into the figher plane business in their home country of Canada funded by the government. Of course, it would require Bombardier to partner with some other companies.

Naturally they would need to have the government rescind the F-35 purchase to make their vision a reality - which is why they take every opportunity in the media & government to knock the F-35. This is all about a domestic competitor with no product trying to force the government not to buy an existing foreign product.