Article

2024-12-12 Science & Technology

Trump has told Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet he plans to cancel the $1 trillion F-35 contract

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Posted by Fred 2024-12-12 2024-12-12 00:49|| || Front Page|| [11136 views ] Top

#1 This needs about 4 tons of salt. There are almost a thousand more F-35s ordered and China is NOT winning as their jets are about as stealthy as my fucking Honda. The F-35 has dominated war games and Israel has proven it is a game changer in air campaigns.

Throwing the bullshit flag on this one.

Posted by DarthVader 2024-12-12 02:01|| 2024-12-12 02:01|| Front Page Top

#2 Israel has proven it is a game changer in air campaigns.

With locally made electronics

Posted by Grom the Reflective 2024-12-12 02:33|| 2024-12-12 02:33|| Front Page Top

#3 If the issue is DEI, then Lockheed can start by shutting that program down. Once corporate culture is reset, discussions around the thing itself can begin.

Posted by trailing wife 2024-12-12 03:27|| 2024-12-12 03:27|| Front Page Top

#4 As a kid, I thought hockey camp sucked. DEI camp would suck the suck out of sucking.

Posted by Super Hose 2024-12-12 08:45|| 2024-12-12 08:45|| Front Page Top

#5 The USA has already accepted delivery of over 1000 of these. The current plan is, I think, to acquire about another 2000.

The F-35 comes in different models. Current price is about $80 to 120M per depending on the model and the additional modifications. The cost will likely increase as even more modifications, including better and heavier weapons, are entrained into the F-35.

The total number needed depends a lot on how many are to go to NATO allies and how many we will sell to other countries.

Posted by Lord Garth 2024-12-12 09:16|| 2024-12-12 09:16|| Front Page Top

#6 The maintenance required to keep these birds operational sets fresh limits. How many of the 1,000 delivered are good to go on any particular morning? My best guess would be 350 with another 350 sporting multiple DMIs and the last 300 needing serious TLC

Posted by Gloluns Turkeyneck4904 2024-12-12 09:50|| 2024-12-12 09:50|| Front Page Top

#7 ^good points

There was a GAO report on this a few months ago. At the time, about 50% of the F-35 fleet was fully operational. It was taking about $6M/year in maintenance per plane to get it at that level. There was an estimate that about $8M/yr could get it to 65% but, here is the extra depressing part, it was doubtful that enough qualified personnel could be found to do that much maintenance given all the other aircraft that need maintenance.

Posted by Lord Garth 2024-12-12 12:09|| 2024-12-12 12:09|| Front Page Top

#8 On of the reasons for the low readiness early in deployment was a lack of facilities to do maintenance in and people weren't trained yet. Now they have mostly fixed that and the F-35 actually has a better readiness level than the F-15.

Posted by DarthVader 2024-12-12 12:30|| 2024-12-12 12:30|| Front Page Top

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