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People are always confused when I say I'm the F-35s biggest fan - because disarmament isn't a viable political option but aircraft programs like this effectivel

• scarmig 6y ago
  It reminds me of a funny little anecdote. In 1989, the USA instituted an arms embargo on China after Tiananmen (which was itself performed with tanks outfitted with American-made guns). However, President Bush allowed a certain existing deal ("Peace Pearl") that would help modernize the PLA's airforce to continue based on the requests of certain well-connected military contractors. But in 1990, China cancelled the deal unilaterally, despite it being the only access they had to Western military tech. Ultimately it went with Israeli and Russian sources. Why? The US arms exporters were running into massive cost overruns and development delays. China thought it was some kind of intentional sabotage, but it was nothing of the sort: it was just the general fucked-upness of American military procurement running into the realities of a culture unused to that level of fucked-upness. An international arms embargo couldn't accomplish the disarmament of China of American weaponry, but the brokenness of the American arms industry could.
• quesera 6y ago
  That would make a lot more sense if the competing militaries had the same problems. Shifting the power balance is unlikely to result in a safer world for most.
  • hindsightbias 6y ago
    The F-35 doesnt have the legs to be relevant vs China and the Russians are poor.