More trouble for the F-35

It's not so much that it isn't "stealth" it's just that detection technology is out-pacing the abilities of stealth aircraft. But, I do agree that we should cancel the contract. The thing is a drain on our defense budget plus the Air Force already has the F-22

F22 is not a multirole platform. The problem with the F35 was that they were trying to do too much with one platform.

LTC Paul Labrador I know the F22 was meant to be an air superiority fighter but it has been flying strike missions against ISIS. Apparently it has been performing quite well too. According to an article I read the F22 can act as the "Quarterback" on a mission and guide other planes, alert other planes of threats, and provide recon on the target. I doubt it will ever do any strafing runs (I also doubt the F35 will either) but if it has the capability to carry strike weapons then it is multi-role in my book.

Oh, and I agree with you sir, the F35 was intended to take on too many different missions without any ability to change it's load out. Also, I have heard that only having 1 engine is killing it.

The AF has its new air-to-air platform - the Raptor. There is NO substitute/replacement for a flying death machine w/ a pilot sitting squarely in the middle of titanium bathtub.

From what I gathered from my buddy, the AF was the one pushing the 35 the whole time. They obviously don't like the bill that's coming to them now, so they tried to bring on the Navy & Marines. Looks like NONE of the services it is targeted at want the dang thing.

Chalk another one up to the failure of lobbyists that don't think about needs of the service first, but instead see large contract $$$.

I have wondered why the Air Force needed the F-35 after it already had the F-22 and has no plans to retire the F-15 or F-16. The only plane it put on the chopping block was the one plane the F-35 can't replace, the A-10. Could be that it's the only "A" left in a stable of "F"s

sounds like Lockheed trying to push all other manufacturers out. too bad they never listened to Boyd (creator of the OODA loop) or understood why Fairchild's platform is so successful.

SGT James Elphick - Also the disturbing thing about the A10 is it has a proven track record and there just isn't another aircraft that can do what it does and do it as well. The A10 was designed for a specific purpose and nothing around can do as well as it does. Fast movers aren't the solution to everything. Not the first ime that mistake has been made, in Vietnam fast movers couldn't perform much of the real close air support and hover in hte are as they used too much fuel just to get there, they took the prop driven WWII vintage A1E Sky Raider out of mothballs to make that mission possible and it lived up to ALL those expectations. I saw first hand what fast movers such as F4 Phantoms. limitations were in that role vs. the close support an A1E could accomplish. I was on the ground defending against enemy ground attacks and know the value. The close air support also for Rescue choppers was without equal at that point in history from the A1E. The more modern A10 Warthog was designed to take that same mission and proved it could. The fast movers were suited to particular types of missions just as the A1E and later the A10 was suited for others.