WASHINGTON - On Wednesday, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform is slated to hold a hearing: “F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Ensuring Safety and Accountability in the Government’s Trillion Dollar Investment.” The portentous nature of the title implies the question, what is going on with this program? Given the money, time, and effort invested in this aircraft and its associated systems, expectations are for real results, not negative headlines and flight line setbacks. The reality is that the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, allies and partners all need this fifth-generation fighter to work as advertised. The requirements dictated by the global threat environment demand nothing less, Dave Deptula reports for Forbes. Continue reading original article.
The Intelligent Aerospace take:
July 23, 2020 - While the F-35 program has hit turbulence with numerous issues that have been addressed and some that have yet to be, Deptula argues in his piece for Forbes that this fifth-gen fighter is a bargain because it can do so much more than less stealthy aircraft. Deptula notes that during Desert Storm, it took 19 non-stealth aircraft to accomplish the same effects as one stealthy F-117. In addition, the "cost per flying hour" is slated to drop from the current $35,000 per hour to $20,000 per hour by 2025.
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Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace
