The U.S. May Build 500 Jets Before Finding Out If the F-35 Works

[Purveyor]

Tests of how Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 will perform in combat won’t begin until at least August 2018, a year later than planned, and more than 500 of the fighter jets may be built before the assessment is complete, according to the Pentagon’s test office.

“These aircraft will require a still-to-be-determined list of modifications” to be fully capable, Michel Gilmore, the U.S. Defense Department’s top weapons tester, said in his annual report on major programs. “However, these modifications may be unaffordable for the services as they consider the cost of upgrading these early lots of aircraft while the program continues to increase production rates in a fiscally constrained environment.”

The Defense Department plans a fleet of 2,443 F-35s for the U.S., plus hundreds more to be purchased by allies, including the U.K., Italy, Australia and Japan. The costliest U.S. weapons program, at a projected $391 billion, the F-35 is being produced even as it’s still being developed, a strategy a top Pentagon official once called “acquisition malpractice.”

Despite the plane’s many problems, “F-35 production rates have been allowed to steadily increase to large rates,” Gilmore said in his annual report to congressional defense committees.

Buying More

The Pentagon wants to increase the number of F-35s purchased for the U.S. to 92 annually by 2020 from 38 last year. The number jumps to 120 a year when foreign sales are included. For this year, Congress added 11 aircraft to the 57 requested.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-01-29/pentagon-risks-building-500-f-35s-before-completing-combat-tests

[atreides1]

1. It's also having software problems

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/01/f-35-software-overrun-with-bugs-dod-testing-chief-warns/


Just imagine an F-35 with full armament load, and the software goes out!

Brings a whole new meaning to the term "blue screen of death"!!!

[kacekwl]

2. What I would like to hear from any candidate

for president and congress is that they will put a stop to this bullshit . Take the billions maybe trillions of dollars saved and use it to actually help all veteran issues. Might even have some $$$$$$ left over for signal payer health care.

[SunSeeker]

3. Well you won't hear it from Sanders.

He defends the F-35.

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/24583-bernie-sanders-doubles-down-on-f-35-support-days-after-runway-explosion

[daybranch]

4. Trying to smear Bernie as being like Hillary

The bigger difference is Hillary supports the military industrial complex 's purchase of weapon systems entirely, Bernie only seeks to allow Vermont to gain jobs from their stationing in his state after purchases are made. Not the same at all.
Do you have anything showing he supported purchase of F-35 itself or are you just reaching too far?

[daybranch]

5. Baloney. Having a plane that is going to be built anyway

stationed in yor state is not the same as supporting the purchase itself. It is ana;gous to supporting our troops with needed supplies afterthe decision by others has been made to go to war.
Do you havesome dialogue of Bernie's wherin he says we should buy the F-35 or is this just another smear by Hillary people sayinghe is just like us. It is pretty bad to attack a candidate on the basis of