A military programme too big to fail

[thesafewordisbanana]

No other country spends this much on military technology (of the same quality).  Is it purely political corruption that causes such waste?

[JaayyB]

That's great. We could feed and educate every human being on earth, explore space, advance science and make this world a better place to live. Instead, we spend all this money on developing things that'll allow us to kill eachother easier.

[bennlonelyboy]

too fat to forget

[SpitfireOFatj]

They used to justify this crap by pointing to the Soviets as if they needed to keep up.

One gets the idea the Pentagon believes they need this to take on UFOs.....or the latest video game....

Let's hope they don't notice Halo or they'll start cranking out Pelicans and Warthogs.

[yourtreat2]

For a very good background on the F-35, see the 5 part documentary, beginning with:

1/5 DOCUMENTRY ON F-35 JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER

watch?v=UQB4W8C0rZI

[USSWISCONSIN64]

@a619ko Damn shame.

[PigMine3]

The F-22 is a better design.

[yourtreat2]

We have to spend money on stupid shit. Fuck infrastructure.

[Bo7sainAlenizi]

@yourtreat2 or Fuck education and healthcare

[Ome99]

"Too big to fail" where did I heard that before........

[poisonviper1]

Herp Derp Battlefield 3

[MingGuoLi]

Occupy Pentagon

At 156 million, the F-22 would be a much better buy. Just drop this program and restart F-22 production. The only advantage JSF has is its VTOL ability, and it cracks miserably at that job.

The US is the only nation with an operational 5th Gen and the claim that there is such a threat that current 4th Gens can't deal with is an absolute lie. The US's War on Terror deals with guerrilla fighters; the JSF has zero improvement in dealing with guerrillas. Absolute eye sore.

[planet4allofus]

The only industry left in the USA is the industry of war.

[planet4allofus]

@planet4allofus Oh , I forgot , the other industry is the printing of the all mighty US dollar.

[N9155E]

@planet4allofus : Correct: no steel, no 5-axis cnc-machine tool, no 2.0 tdi sedan, no high speed train, no dslr-camera not even a bloody vacuum cleaner that is competitive on a global scale.

[PSCreativeGaming]

Towel heads.

[PSCreativeGaming]

Algezzera is gaay

[BannedUfos]

The tea party is a load of garbage, I hear them talking about cutting spending everywhere, but then they turn around and say they want a bigger military. I gave this a thumbs not, not to AlJazeera, but to the idiots who run the country.

[swordofisis]

they could have just built brand new f14-15s and made them awesome for a lot less money!

[helix4811]

@swordofisis

You think that's bad? the US is already thinking of spending money on making a 6th gen jet.

[mumpump]

cunting military cunts

[solheights]

Occupying wallstreet is great, but you guys need to think about occupying the Pentagon.

[TacairStationHQ]

It would be a good jet if the block III was actually achieving IOC status later this year as part the force structure and as originally planned for. It would be a great jet if they could actually be buying this operational jet for the price of an F-16 too, as originally estimated. But whoops, it's critical to keep reality stealth until of course there are no more alternative plan Bs remaining and it's not an option to cancel. Nice acquisition process and strategy. Good work.

[abramhb]

The US world police

[hotdude23]

the fucking talibans dont need nothing but an ak.47 and thats it.. both war lost irak afghanistan and those fighter who defeated the usa didnt even have anti air missiles.,,this is plain corruption man..,

[TacairStationHQ]

@hotdude23  But the F-35 is not designed to fight such a nation-building occupation phase of those 2 tragic and unnecessary invasion wars. The F-35 is not the optimal, sustainable nor prudent recapitalization option for the USAF, but the design capability itself is not intended to fight such prolonged occupation wars as you noted. It was designed to achieve deterrence value similar to Rafale, Euro fighter and as has F-15, F-16 in history.

[Tiranozauras]

These numbers are incredibly, so much money spent just to kill other poeple with efficiency.

[Iceman5164]

@OldSchoolSkill

It's a Superiority thing... If we don't upgrade what we've got, we'll lose strength... take a look at Iran... When's the last time they've upgraded they're Tanks? They're still stuck with WWII-era T-34s and Cold War-era T-72s...

[kjfhgbkjhfbv]

Communist love their tanks Capitalists love their Jets... to each is their own

[ajjushabra]

instead of feeding the poor people in the world who are dying of starvation,these poeple are busy in war planes.. war loving people are really good

[norcoboy]

what threats? what fiscal responsibility?

[MrBawston]

Say what you want but we own the air

[nomainreason]

@MrBawston :)))) you are funny... you were kidding right??

[oppa1987]

F35: made in China.

[bennlonelyboy]

@oppa1987 LOL, the chips are made in taiwan i think

[Lurie2010]

How many F-22 Raptors did we build (pssst...187) but they were "too expensive" at over $150 million apiece. So we're going to build how many thousands of these cheaper F35 Lightnings to save the world for peace and democracy? Some folks still don't realize who's been stealing the money.

[unreal672003]

All this is done to protect ISRAEL god dam Youse are stupid America and how many on food stamps in the US ? what a waste of tax payers money, the only threat in the world if there is any and that is the Jew land Zionist USA.

[pythag123]

Scrap them for drones.

[Alhazem1]

What a waste of aerospace engineering. It's stuff like this and Lockheed martin that gives the field a bad name.

[menthol5]

This illustrates why we need to get the money out of politics. The contractors need to try food stamps and living on a budget. If they can't buy our politicians, it will be a great day for people. The military-industrial complex will destroy our planet if we let it.

[MrThewhiteindian]

How the fuck can the US afford this when their 15 trillion $ in debt???.....

[ThePayola123]

It's like a Phallus that's too big to fu*k.

Elephantis Gigantis Phallus!

The F-35 Shall remain a flaccid enterprise,

much like Joe Biden's libido.

[branzilla]

Our military leaders should be fired. Who is running this program "Hoover Vacuum"? Doubling the cost of this jet fighter. Lockheed must slapping each other on the back knowing that their budget when from 240bil to 330bil.

[thatzombieplace]

you jelly world?

[Zefurion1988]

@thatzombieplace We would be if we were paying for these over priced money pits. HA!

[VoidOnTuesday]

No branch of the US military has expressed any desire for this aircraft.

[Carnuss]

What happens when there's a missile system developed to counter F35 type systems? ALL that money wasted.

[ilMitico69]

ma' vaffanculo tu e gli f 35

[aussiedownunderman]

that's one sexy plane

[PrimeConsciousness]

Please attack Iran America! I want to see the Proles scurry about in a panic and die from violence and starvation!

[Koldness99]

jewish lobbiest are pushing for the US to send some to Israel for free, probably to bomb more palestinian schools and hospitals

[LydiaTremont]

But they can't feed the hungry. Vampires.

[darrylxxx1]

Just another way to milk the people of their wealth. Now thats brainwashing. Making you believe in some imaginary enemy.

[Redfingers]

God, Lockheed Martin is fleecing the US government. Give the contract to someone else...

[Redfingers]

What? What the fuck happened to the F22?

Aren't we still using F-16s?

[HarryRay]

@Redfingers f-22 got cancelled because even though it was the strongest air superiority fighter ever, it was just too expensive, whereas the f-35 fills multiple roles and is authorized for limited export, so it (in theory) was supposed to be a bargain.

f-16s are getting old

[TheSwampStalker]

This is America. It doesn't matter if how good or bad it is. All that matters is that it is EXPENSIVE, and the corporation building has a bunch of Ex-Pentagon Brass on its board.

[EdgePitSwing]

Lockheed Martin owns America.

[thegreatRDU]

To go from bob gates to corporate slave Leon Panetta..smdh

[Rosscifer]

@OldSchoolSkill It's mostly designed to compete with the J-20, which could be exported to any country. It's probably not a good idea to let western pilots get massacred by any dictator who drops a couple billion on Chinese planes.

[dino339]

Maybe if all this money used for hrlping and building poor countries..maybe less world issues... more peace.. less need for spending on military

[EllyMcCormack]

Wow, what an amazing jet fighter!!! Can I have a cure for cancer now please? Or for AIDS? Yeah, thanks - coz.... that'd be like... equally as .... EXCITING - right? 

[jahan442]

by continous saving of monstrous satanic(so called too big,banks/weapons) companies the US its selfe will fail. doesent the government know the US is too big to fail, and if US fails the rest of the world will suffer, as well as its own people.

[RedTory59]

What a racket.

[hoosierhiver]

Such bullshit, we are slaves to the military/industrial complex. Why don't we just start giving them blank checks.

[Beastkingzetta]

SELL THAT AIRCRAFT NOW!!!

[patientproduction]

on wiki "The United States intends to buy a total of 2,443 aircraft for an estimated US$323 billion". The UK, Australia and other NATO allies are going ahead with funding the program as well. The F-35 has the greatest armanent payload out of all predecessor aircrafts. What do we need 2,443 F-35s for?? are we expecting a massive extra-terestrial invasion in the near future?

[Ome99]

@patientproduction They realize it would cost even to maintain that shit!

[helix4811]

@patientproduction

you never know, maybe it's like stargate sg1 and the americans pissed off the wrong extra terrestrial race.

[Mardasee]

@OldSchoolSkill You took the words right out of my mouth with that comment of yours. Those fighter jets are a total waste of money.

[elendiel0101]

Old white men with shamefully small pricks compensating with huge pointy war machines of steel... something new??

[cardinalkesky]

Got to love lobbyist

[devilpyro420]

more money in private contracters pockets and companies like lockheed martin who just care about making themselves richer... who cares about the poor civilian peons they can file for welfare right...

[mdlittle5466]

Next generation for what?!? We already -HAVE- air superiority...this is rediculous, that program needs shut down...

[JLDoggard]

Eisenhower's famous comment about the dangers of the militarty-industrial cxomplex in the early 1950s now seem more apt than ever.

[hoosierhiver]

@JLDoggard No doubt, so many people don't even know about that prophetic warning.

[metalhead420fuq]

whats up with the suggestions? us us us.

[rjbonacolta]

I'm not in the airforce, but wouldn't it be better operationally to have a bunch of cheaper, if outdated planes instead of fewer more advanced ones?

[kurtilein3]

@rjbonacolta

the USA, when it comes to military, is always doing everything. You are right, thats why the number of drones / unmanned aircraft is increasing so dramatically. You need far less pilots, which need less training, less technicians, and the drones are also cheaper.

But the US government is bought out by big corporations, and lockheed martin is huge. So they cannot cut it, it doesnt matter if it makes sense or not, lockheed martins will trumps the will of US citizen.

[Abbadon380]

this couldve been fucking used for helping the many homeless in the US

[a619ko]

Imagine that kind of money being used to improve schools....Jeez, we would be a highly advanced society...

[USSWISCONSIN64]

@a619ko i doubt that.

[a619ko]

@USSWISCONSIN64 Why is that? Think about it...We would be a highly educated society...

[USSWISCONSIN64]

@a619ko well think about it. people are not like that. but i t would be cool to see that happen.

[a619ko]

@USSWISCONSIN64 Yeah, that's true...We are lazy :l

[Sallytheg4y]

@a619ko we could have flying cars like in "Back to the Future"

[a619ko]

@Sallytheg4y That would be...Awesome!

[JManJoe]

Yea cause currently they need to fight the Taliban air threat

or perhaps combat the weapons of mass destruction

[landlogger]

@JManJoe Gosh don't forget Afghanistans navy!

[RayKalmNiam]

Pakistan's JF - 17 >> All of America's shitty toys.

[JIMICRYED9090]

@RayKalmNiam wrong

[cba2004]

still waging wars....

[SSTTEEAALLTTHH]

What threats? If you stopped going around invading the world, no one would probably care! Jesus fucking Christ...

[superfisto]

Cloaked Banshees are good for drone/probe harass in the early game. But their role is limited.

Nothing replaces Marines, Marauders, and Siege Tanks.

[Incognitoification1]

Oooh look, here's another weapon that will make killing each other more efficient, faster, and destructive , brilliant!

Well done humanity.

[PacoMxxN]

that's a lot of money...

[azamjaved]

So many dying of hunger ..and look at this waist of money and brain, if human start spending on true need, there would be need for this.

[DurzaGaiden]

So we need to spend this much money on aircraft because...?

[IamYoddle]

@DurzaGaiden BECAUSE The Canadians, Cubans, and Mexicans are plotting to take over America, WE NEED to spend what these country's will spend on there entire military over 40+years just on a Fighter Jet OR THEM WILL DESTROY US!!!

[LuckyMarketGameplay]

Spend that 300billion on furthering eco fuels, and we wouldn't need to ever invade another country for resources ever again!

[gthreesix]

It is a new generation of paycheck :)

[munib1000]

More money wasted I SEE

[KartAnimal29]

We don't need this piece of shit. Who's going to attack us, Mexico ???? It's a waste of money just like the F22. how about you help people get back to work with this money or feed the people that can't afford to buy food.

[Radmann916]

How fucking stupid are human beings. They spend billions on war machine to have protection from their own kind...lmfao...on Top of that there are millions homeless...how fucking stupid.

[NormDesignIRE]

@Radmann916 the sad thing is hes right :(

[jackvideodat]

@Radmann916 millions homeless in there own country could be housed over night, millions hungry could be fed, imagine having the American defense budget to feed Africa.. haha but there's no profit in that!

[aka0kop]

@Radmann916 its funny how we call ourselves the most intelligent species on earth.

[aussiedownunderman]

@Radmann916 it's investing in the future. the technology that is going into that fighter jet will trickle down into other future aircraft. it's also develops and invests in the skills of the men and women who design and build the aircraft, which also will benefit the future of the aircraft industry

[BusterXXXL]

@aussiedownunderman that is a pretty expensive way to conduct socialism.

[beachfiredude]

they protect others but how about there own

[beachfiredude]

chemtrail producers