[Chuckmak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Shannymara', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', 'Y')eah. In case anyone missed that, that's $3000 per American Citizen.

[Cloud9]

Hitler lost his war because he cut back on aircraft development. Build the plane.

[Benzin]

Let's start a war. Start a nuclear war.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTzs9G-VOZ4&NR=1

[lowem]

Really do need to RTFA :

Close to $300 billion is needed to acquire 2,458 aircraft for the three services and another $650 billion will be needed to operate and maintain the fighters that are expected to be flying well into the 21st century, the report says.

Last I heard, it was supposed to be about $200 billion for around 2000 aircraft, so the cost of acquisition went up by, oh say 50% over the last 5 years or so. Seeing the rate at which they are printing money and how the USD is falling, and the fact that you don't really outsource this kind of thing, I'd say that's about fair.

As for the cost of *operation* well *into* the 21st century, let's just say that with an exponential rise in inflation over time, plus $200 then $300 then $500 oil and so on, will push the final figures of this, and everything else, into hyperinflationary territory.

Forget about the total being merely a trillion dollars today. That will become spare change. We'll probably be talking in scientific notation, e.g. a loaf of bread would be $2.80E+12 or something of the sort.

[smiley]

I think it is even immoral in a sense. Last year the US froze a large program on the development on improved personal and vehicle armor, yet they are increasing the spending on this.

I think if you ask the typical guy on the ground in Iraq and Afganistan where the priority should be, I bet they would not choose the JSF.

F16 out of date? How about the M16?

[jboogy]

Almost 10 trillion fed. debt., widest gap between rich and poor since the depression, only industrialized nation without guvment funded health care, people walking away from upside-down mortgages by the 100's of thousands, bankruptcies at all time highs, milk 4.30 a gallon, families going into 50,000 dollar debt to put the kid in college, energy taking HUGE chunk out of stretched budgets, and boeing and Lockheed sucking on my wallet to kill a bunch of Arabs with AK's, .....who don't scare me even a little.

They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa.
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa.
To the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time and I'll be happy
to see those nice young men in their clean white coats and they're coming
to take me away, ha-haaa!!!
To the happy home, with trees and flowers and chirping birds and basket
weavers who sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs and toes and they're
coming to take me away, ha-haa!!!
To the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time...

[dorlomin]

The US would have been vastly better off buying something like a Griffon or a Eurofighter Typhoon type aircraft to replace the F-16 in as a cheap easy to operate workhorse and complement the F-22 as an out and out air superiority aircraft.

The real problem is the lead time for a new aircraft is so long these days that no one knows what will be happening in 30 years time.

The amount the US spends on defence is obsene, but then again 1939 reminds us all that some defence is always needed.

[Zardoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dorlomin', 'T')he US would have been vastly better off buying something like a Griffon or a Eurofighter Typhoon type aircraft to replace the F-16 as a cheap easy to operate workhorse...

[bodigami]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('roccman', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AirlinePilot', 'T')hat is one bad ass airplane though. They are putting either a laser or Particle beam type weapon on a few versions of this for short range engagements. That is cool.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'T')he big problem with the Eurofighter Typhoon is that it isn't stealthy. The F-35 is. If your enemy can't see you, can't find you, and isn't even sure that you're there, you have a major advantage, don't you?

[Zardoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '.')..Maybe we can do like the Russians and continue fueling our fighter planes by renting rides in them to international millionaires.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'N')ah. That's not our style. We'll just let this meter continue to run:

U.S. National Debt Clock

[AWPrime]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'N')ah. That's not our style. We'll just let this meter continue to run:

U.S. National Debt Clock

[Ferretlover]

"F-35 cost: Now One TRILLION Bucks"

How many wheelbarrows is that?...

[EnergyUnlimited]

When I look on developing financial implosion and on PO (and other peaks) related developments, somehow I doubt that we will ever have weaponry discussed above or anything close to it.

I think, we are debating theoretical possibilities only.
So I doubt that such systems are going to be built, even if their existence is theoretically possible.

[TITAN]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AirlinePilot', 'W')ell, the reality is that within a very short period of time we will need a replacement for the F-16. This is it.

That airframe is getting very old and we are using them up at a fairly rapid pace due to ops tempo. I do agree that spending this kind of money is probably not prudent. We would probably do just fine building fresh current gen aircraft for the foreseeable future.

Also, China is becoming a possible future adversary and it will be necessary to have a very capable arsenal which acts as a force multiplier. This aircraft, the F-22, and the next gen long range stealth bomber will foot the bill.

I'm wondering how the hell we are going to pay for it though once the FED finishes up its fun and games and we are in the next great depression.

[Ferretlover]

HHHmmm... And just what will those F-35s be using for fuel?...

[Zardoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TITAN', 'P')retty sure you don't understand what people are trying to tell you. We don't need a new fighter jet because there in nobody left to fight in the air. None of our 'enemies' and soon to be enemies (again) have anything that warrants this type of waste.

[Zardoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ferretlover', 'H')HHmmm... And just what will those F-35s be using for fuel?...

[AWPrime]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TITAN', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AirlinePilot', 'W')ell, the reality is that within a very short period of time we will need a replacement for the F-16. This is it.

That airframe is getting very old and we are using them up at a fairly rapid pace due to ops tempo. I do agree that spending this kind of money is probably not prudent. We would probably do just fine building fresh current gen aircraft for the foreseeable future.

Also, China is becoming a possible future adversary and it will be necessary to have a very capable arsenal which acts as a force multiplier. This aircraft, the F-22, and the next gen long range stealth bomber will foot the bill.

I'm wondering how the hell we are going to pay for it though once the FED finishes up its fun and games and we are in the next great depression.