Where out of control! President Elect Donald Trump has repeatedly
mentioned the necessity to cut government waste and abuse. Amidst allegations
of rampant waste in the Pentagon, Trump has attacked the new Air Force One
deal, and, most recently, the F-35 program. To “The Donald”, it may seem
as easy as saying “you’re fired”, but things may be a bit more complex.
The next
generation of fighter plane, the F-35 is supposed to be the most
technologically advanced fighter ever created. Connected to all facets of the
modern battlefield, this plane is supposed to take the next step, from
situational awareness to situational understanding, effectively eliminating the
infamous "fog of war".
Problems with the
program emerged with continuous delays, the budget stretching and, finally,
exploding. The F-35 program cost has, therefore, ballooned to over $1.5
trillion, while the first combat ready aircraft have only been declared as such
in the past few months. There is no question that the program has
underperformed, while costs have skyrocketed, but can it be stopped now?
The
President Elect may want to end the fraud, waste, and abuse, but I would
contend that his emphasis needs to be on future programs. The F-35 has been in
development for far too long, with far too much money spent to be abandoned
now. Ending the program (or even curtailing future procurement) will result in
increased spending, not less. Curtailing procurement will increase unit cost
which will, in turn, turn off potential buyers from future investment. We also
cannot neglect to address the modernization of our aircraft fleet. If we choose
to kill the F-35, what do we put in its place? How much time and money do we
waste choosing a new replacement aircraft?
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