# F35 strike fighter boondoggle surfaces again



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

The PC gov't announced yesterday, it is hitting the brakes on the procurement/maintenance cost estimates
of the JSF F-35 strike fighter after an independent auditor released figures
that the initial cost of procurement (estimated at 9 billion) 3 years ago, did not include maintenance,
support or even armaments and upgrades over its projected 42 year life. 
This has now been projected to be 45.8 billion in todays dollars. Not sure if inflation was included in
these figures, I expect so.

This is over it's 40 year+ lifespan.. Depending on when delivery would start it could be well into
the next 15 years before the last one is delivered. It does not include replacement costs for crashes
(estimated at 10 aircraft), and other maintenance costs.

Most of the European countries that initially were interested have already pulled out in favor of more affordable fighter aircraft. Now the PC gov't has woken up to smell the coffee of the real projected cost of a fighter aircraft that may in fact not be suitable to patrol the Canadian North or it's maritime borders.

We discussed this a last year on CMF, I believe, and then I felt that this was an overpriced military aircraft
that had little use in domestic service in Canada.

On top of the estimated projected cost..the gov't estimate of the initial purchase of 75 million per copy (now
estimated to be 85 million per copy), was based on X production units.

With most countries now pulling out their "memorandums of understanding" to purchase these fighters, and the US gov't scaling back purchases of these as well, due to their financial problems..
I can't see this fighter becoming a successful venture for Lcckheed-Martin. 

If you look at the wiki link below and the "flyaway cost" of the A model at $154 million
per fighter..that's already double the gov'ts current estimate...and it's not finished yet!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II


----------



## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Well, it cost $$$$ for new toys and how is this different from the gun-registry scrap? In the meantime http://canadianmoneyforum.com/showt...-per-cent-have-no-savings?p=158012#post158012 ... I wonder how our government officials sleep so well at night. :rolleyes2:


----------



## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

How is it worse than the gun registry? It costs 42x more.

The thing that bothers me is that the government has known for years that this program was going to cost vastly more than they were admitting in public. They've just decided to lie about it and generate FUD until now, when the cost has become completely untenable. Only now are they reversing course and opening up to a competitive tendering process. In the mean time, years have been wasted.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Beaver101 said:


> Well, it cost $$$$ for new toys and how is this different from the gun-registry scrap? In the meantime [... I wonder how our government officials sleep so well at night. :rolleyes2:


it's lack of accountability. While the RCAF generals and fliers want the latest and the best, sometime that comes at a price
that is not affordable to the Cdn taxpayers. The agreement to purchase replacement fighters for the aging CF18 was never
submitted to competition bidding to see what was out there and the costs involved. 
It's the same thing as you going to buy a custom built Lamborghini or Ferrari designed for racetrack only to use as a
daily driver. Not only is the purchase price going to be unaffordable for most, but that kind of car is basically useless
as a daily driver and you can't even carry anygthing in them as well. The costs will go up as the speeding tickets
come in one after another.

The Russian Su35 JSF has similar capabilities and at a much cheaper price per copy (45 to 65 million) but of course,
Canada being part of Nato would not consider buying this aircraft from the Russians..because they would be embarrassed
in the company of the US and their Nato friends.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-35



> The Brazilian Air Force expressed interest in purchasing Su-35s to replace older aircraft.


S*ukhoi approached US-aligned Australia in 2002, offering Su-30 family aircraft, and the Su-35 targeted as the prime "export" fighter.[77][78] Since 2008, other nations in the region have either acquired the Su-30 or exhibited interest in the Su-35 with Australia concerned that the RAAF F-35 will be "overmatched" if the Su-35 becomes the dominant opposition.[79] Indonesia is also interested in the Su-35BM as a replacement for its F-5E/Fs.[80] However, Indonesia choose F-16 Block52 instead. [81]*


As a tactical fighter, the Russian SU35 can probably standup and match whatever the F35 can do and maybe a bit more.


----------



## sags (May 15, 2010)

The Russian planes may be the best in the world.........but I still wouldn't want Canada to buy them.

I recently watched a documentary that showed the Chinese produce almost every electronic component on earth, which are placed into all kinds of electronic products..........including computers destined for the military.

One "problem" is the ability to hack into the computers through a "back door", enabling the Chinese to disable or control the computers.

This is what is thought to have happened in the missile drone that went down in Iran. The US military lost all control and the missile operated as if someone else was guiding it. It basically was landed without a scratch.

Someone recently hacked into the Iranian nuclear program.

Espionage is alive and well...............it just isn't made public.


----------

