News F-35 new design flaws could add up to a billion USD

[blane]

Wow.

"The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, meant to replace nearly every tactical warplane in the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, was already expected to cost $1 trillion dollars for development, production and maintenance over the next 50 years. Now that cost is expected to grow, owing to 13 different design flaws uncovered in the last two months by a hush-hush panel of five Pentagon experts. It could cost up to a billion dollars to fix the flaws on copies of the jet already in production, to say nothing of those yet to come."

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/12/joint-strike-fighter-13-flaws/

 

[Evil_Onyx]

I can see potential f-35 customers either pulling their orders or looking elsewhere to fill the gap that the f-35 is supposed to fill.

It always seemed silly to me that they where building production aircraft when the majority of the flight testing is left to be completed. Would you start mass producing something that has not completed prototype testing?

 

[Ghostrider]

Would you start mass producing something that has not completed prototype testing?

After the Ford Pinto, can it still be a surprise?

 

[jedidia]

So that's, like, 0.1% over budget? doesn't sound too bad...

 

[blane]

So that's, like, 0.1% over budget? doesn't sound too bad...

It's far worse than that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockhe..._II#Program_cost_increases_and_further_delays

These design flaws are just the latest development...

 

[Izack]

Heard about this in the paper the other day. What a mess! I hope we don't end up stuck with our badly-aging CF-18s for the indefinite future. We'll have to rent more than just tanks from the Germans.

 

[Mantis]

Heard about this in the paper the other day. What a mess! I hope we don't end up stuck with our badly-aging CF-18s for the indefinite future. We'll have to rent more than just tanks from the Germans.

The think to keep in mind is that the media is not interested is reporting the news. Their primary goal is to sell papers and entice viewers. Anything they can exaggerate, sensationalize and trump up in order to get people's attention will sell papers so they do it with little regard to the actual facts.

 

[blane]

We'll have to rent more than just tanks from the Germans.

Funny you mention that as the Eurofighter was a similar financial disaster :lol:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurofighter_Typhoon#Costs

 

[Ark]

Corporate welfare strikes again. The two most expensive aircraft programs ever, and they will basically do nothing but sit in hangars or drop bombs on pathetic little desert people. Lockheed Martin laughs all the way to the bank.

 

[Evil_Onyx]

The issues cant be that bad if Japan just made an order for them http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16259895

 

[Tommy]

What? A defense contract is going over budget because of design flaws?

Since when is that news? :hmm:

 

[ky]

I can see potential f-35 customers either pulling their orders or looking elsewhere to fill the gap that the f-35 is supposed to fill.

Wouldnt the new F-15 in development be an option?

 

[Eli13]

Wouldnt the new F-15 in development be an option?

The F-15SE is a proposed upgrade to current F-15C fighters to aid in the Air Superiority role. The F-35 is meant to fill a Multirole position replacing current F-16's in the Air Force and F/A-18 Hornets in the Navy and Marines. Not the previously mentioned Air Superiority role, which in the Air Force would be taken by F-22s and F-15s, while in the Navy and Marines is filled by the F/A-18 Super Hornets.

 

[Codz]

The F-15SE is a proposed upgrade to current F-15C fighters to aid in the Air Superiority role..

I think you mean F-15E...

 

[Eli13]

I think you mean F-15E...

No, I don't. The F-15SE is the proposed F-15 "Silent Eagle" prototype. You can read more about it here.

The F-15E is the Strike Eagle which I am sure you are quite familiar with. And of course, I'm sure you know that is meant for a Ground Strike role with dogfighting capabilities. The F-15SE has the same role as the F-15C, not the F-15E.

 

[Codz]

No, I don't. The F-15SE is the proposed F-15 "Silent Eagle" prototype. You can read more about it here.

The F-15E is the Strike Eagle which I am sure you are quite familiar with. And of course, I'm sure you know that is meant for a Ground Strike role with dogfighting capabilities. The F-15SE has the same role as the F-15C, not the F-15E.

Yes it is meant to fill the same role as the C varient, but the SE is an upgrade for the E varient.

 

[Eli13]

Yes it is meant to fill the same role as the C varient, but the SE is an upgrade for the E varient.

Woops. Typos. :facepalm:

The variants get a little confusing after a bit... :shifty: