5 ms·
I liked https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n07/daniel-soar/the-most-expensive-weapon-ever-built https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n07/daniel-soar/the-most-expensive... for its e
by EricBurnett 10y ago
I liked https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n07/daniel-soar/the-most-expensive-weapon-ever-built https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n07/daniel-soar/the-most-expensive... for its explanation of the political situation the F-35 is being built in, and the multinational ties that make it extremely difficult to cancel.
TL;DR: The scope of this project (intentionally) means there are customers in 10s of countries, with most of them also contributing portions of the plans and so invested in the sales of the others. Just in the US alone contractors account for more people than the Coal industry we're hearing so much about right now.
I have not got nearly enough information to say if it's a good or bad plane. But I find it extremely interesting to think that to a large degree, it doesn't matter.
- ufmace 10y agoI actually read that article from a link here a few days ago or so. It does seem to be the case that even without the political situation, it would be tough to cancel in that we need a new generation of fighter and it would take too long to start a new program from scratch now. I guess we have to make the best of what we have with the F-35.
- valuearb 10y agoThese jobs aren't a benefit of the program, they are its cost. Kill it and spend the money on more cost effective and dangerous weapons such as drones. Let the allies figure it out for themselves, if they didn't skimp so much on military spending they wouldn't be so dependent on us.
- yellowapple 10y agoOr better yet, move some of that money over to NASA so that I can have my Enceladus colony already.