True, the F-35 joint striker program cost was excess of $1 trillion dollars. The most expensive arms project ever. Its the joke of the global defense industry because in 1990 President Clinton and Lockheed took advantage of Russian Federation uncertainty to buy from them the Yak 141 VTOL aircraft program from Russia for $400 million including 3 prototypes.
Yak 141 VTOL sold to usa
Russians flew an demonstrator aircraft at the british defense airshow in 1992 and completely blew away all west corporations and executives there. They had developed a quick vertical take off and landing aircraft that was bigger, faster and carries more weapons payload than the Brits harrier aircraft. The engines especially were efficient.
[SIZE=5]Cooperation with LockheedEdit[/SIZE]
Following the announcement by the CIS on September 1991 that it could no longer fund development of the Yak-41M, Yakovlev entered into discussions with several foreign partners who could help fund the program. Lockheed Corporation, which was in the process of developing the X-35 for the US Joint Strike Fighter program, stepped forward, and with their assistance aircraft 48-2 was displayed at the Farnborough Airshow in September 1992. Yakovlev announced that they had reached an agreement with Lockheed for funds of $385 to $400 million for three new prototypes and an additional static test aircraft to test improvements in design and avionics. Planned modifications for the proposed Yak-41M included an increase in STOL weight to 21,500 kg (47,400 lb). One of the prototypes would have been a dual-control trainer. Though no longer flyable, both 48-2 and 48-3 were exhibited at the 1993 Moscow airshow. The partnership began in late 1991, though it was not publicly revealed by Yakovlev until 6 September 1992, and was not revealed by Lockheed until June 1994.[9]
In the next 10 year the usa spent an incredible $1 trillion dollars to convert it into the F-35 joint striker stealth plane. Unit costs are in excess of $100 million each. The most expensive flying air force jet. Europe decided that amount is too high to purchase it under nato partnership and are developing their own aircraft at a cheaper cost. Japan bought a few dozen after N.Korea shot missiles across Japan into the pacific ocean. Japan has it own stealth fighter program but will start fielding completed units after 2025. That’s why the had to buy F35 for their present needs. Israel bought them because almost all Arab countries now have fourth generation +++ aircraft from usa, europe and Russia. It has to stay ahead of them. However the reported loss of one aircraft in Syria has been downplayed immensely.
Do you know how many threads I have contributed here? How many debates I have been involved in on this forum?
And unlike you I stick with my original handle. I don’t start new handles because I have gotten emotional and I want to attack certain people on the forum.
This mawaya handle is clearly new. And immediately you came in, you started calling me Eric Trump… I could see where you were going.
So stop pretending that you are mature.
You @Mawaya are the epitome of immaturity. That you have to hide behind a new handle to attack anyone who opposes your POLITICAL beliefs especially those concerned with Trump.
At the end of the day you are probably not even a real talker, maybe just a mod trolling to keep talkers talking.
F35 is an expensive piece of crap! Many cases of inefficiency and defectiveness have been reported since it’s first operation ,I’ll rather go for the more genuine SU57.
He worked for the U.S govt. building highly secretive weaponry and then in the evening he came to a public website forum to discuss his work… and you believed him?
Do you know that when you work for any govt. or top corporation for such sensitive work you sign forms that hold you liable when you don’t keep your mouth shut?
Don’t believe everything you read. Look at spear above for instance. Trying very hard above to denigrate this piece of equipment. And yet most of the info he has on this jet is from some secondary pro-Russia news sites!!
What I’m I saying?
He does not work for Lockheed.
You do not work for Lockheed or Northrop Grumman.
The people who worked closely on this jet are sworn to silence.
What part is not true?
China does not have 100 year history of being a superpower.
Most of their capabilities have been developed in the last 20 years.
But the US has developed their international market for decades. They’ve been selling for years. Doesn’t necessarily mean they are selling the best currently.
He was a subcontractor. Possibly a subcontractor of a subcontractor.
The F-35 program has 1,400 suppliers from around the world.
And he was answering on Reddit anonymously.
A lot of defense commentary is lost to bravado and hype. A nation primarily buys equipment for its intended needs, purpose and that varies with each nation.
Uganda had 5 soviet era mig 21 jets as multirole jet aircraft in 2000. Their main adversary Sudan had newer MIGs that were bombing South Sudan and patrolling up to UG borders in the north and west. M7 knew he needed new jets the earliest moment he got a windfall of cash. In 2010 he got such a windfall from Tullow oil licence and bought 8no. SU30. That’s a squadron, efficient for defensive purposes not offensive. Kenya we have 17 no F5. Old yes but those old birds were upgraded by usa to reach fourth generation capabilities. They replaced the avionics, wiring, radars, equipment, engines and payloads. They don’t match the SU30 but they are many. As a unit they can’t be underated especially with the new weapons payload. Our aircraft are primarily for defensive formation. Most African airspace threats are simply unauthorised entry by fix wing aircraft and the very odd encroachment of enemy aircraft. The aircrafts our air forces have are more than adequate to incept and if necessary shot them down. Buying an offensive air force is an expensive venture that is not necessary for countries where extreme poverty is still experienced by 15% of the population. Only Egypt and Algeria have offensive aircraft squadron in Africa. Ethiopia, South Africa and Morocco all have defensive squadrons. Germany has 50 euro fighter aircraft. However at their Parliament it was revealed that only 5 aircraft are on standby at any time for possible engagement. The other 45 aircraft are stored in hangars only coming out once in s few months just for a short flight to keep them within their service limits. Its expensive to maintain an air force in full standby. If you have no known or possible enemies then why keep them. New Zealand disbanded its air force and agreed with usa to shift the aircraft to Australia for their training purposes. New Zealand airspace is now jointly patrolled by 2-4 planes from Australia and usa.
What Kenya air force lacks are close air support fighter jets to support ground troops. The usa air force rightfully offered us the militarizes air tractor. Despite the mockery by some that aircraft is the ideal plane for our needs against alshabab insurgency along our common border with Somali. It can remain on air for 10 hours on patrol duties. Fixed wing aircraft not jet that is fully armoured against anti aircraft guns. Flies day, night and harsh weather. Has 10 hard points for varies guns, missiles and payloads. It has a electronic warfare suite, intelligence gathering intercepts capability, and surveillance suites for pictures, videos etc. Its lethal, easy to operate, maintain and effective platform. Its not a jet so can fly slow to take on everything from single persons, units, assets on the ground but fly fast if need be. usa senate approved our request to buy a squadron of 10 aircraft after we passed the hard process of review including strong opposition from.one senator who didn’t like the fact the original.manufacturer in his state was sidelined for a variant unit made in UAE. However Kenya air force has not firmed up that order and that has surprised everyone. We also need more helicopter gunships not the tokens we got from Jordan and UAE.
And he told you guys because you are who exactly?!
Huyo labda ni ka CIA kanawachezea akili hapo. Ama kafala tu fulani.
I have met folks who work in such fields hata hawezi kuambia chochote. Coz he or she doesn’t know whether you are testing him. Even they themselves have limited info.
And haven’t you stopped to think that maybe the U.S govt is undermining it’s own weapon to hide it’s true potential! To excite the enemy to think he is far ahead.
The U.S does that to get a reaction from the opponent.
For instance the U.S govt disseminates info that their missiles are very old. They have very few nukes, fewer than Russia even… :D:rolleyes:
Putin anafurahi kuskia hivyo hadi ana display sijui hypersonic sijui what…
U.S military meanwhile wanajifanya they are very broke everything is falling apart and most importantly through this propaganda the U.S military gets an even bigger budget from congress.
That is the same way KDF hujifanya very broke, very useless… until Westgate nugu zinatokea hapo na FN scar Museveni anashindwa, “Weh! Haiya!! Kumbe?!”
To Mkuki when the U.S is upgrading KDF jets and planes they are geniuses… they know what they are doing…
But when they are building weapons designed to face off against his beloved Russians and Chinese all of a sudden the very same Anericans become clueless, wasteful, morons. :D:rolleyes::rolleyes:
The same guys who BUILT the Kenyan F5 Tiger and have just finished upgrading it are geniuses.
But when these very same guys build the more advanced F35, they are idiots.
So much hullabaloo. The guy was contributing on a thread about military capabilities.
And you would need to have been born yesterday not to know China manufactures things for a fraction the cost in the US.
And the US military wastage is legendary. Washington Post reported in 2015 that almost a quarter of the budget ($134 billion) is wasted in bloated bureaucracy.
Big government projects in the US must be spread out across many states for political reasons. If the engine is being assembled in Florida, the wheels cannot be made in Florida.
China does not have such headaches and thus its production is cheap and efficient.
You should also know that most of the US defense budget goes to operations, and not procurement of new weapons.
All those military bases must be maintained. Veterans must be taken care of. Salaries etc.
China does not have 800 bases outside its country to maintain. It does not have Trillion-dollar wars to fight all the time.
Their budget is dedicated to improving their arsenal.
They remain wasteful morons until that day the delta force pulls you out of a hole in the ground.
Ask yourself this : how comes the U.S never parades their real arsenal… they forever complain about being broke… they never sell their weapons to just anyone!
Even rifles…when the U.S is arming rebels they sources weapon systems from other nations. Ni ujanja!
Ati F35 ni useless, wasteful piece of crap. Yes it is.
The military industrial complex is more corrupt than Kenya could ever wish to be.
Trillions of dollars spent unnecessarily so that a few companies don’t go out of business.
I appreciate all that… buy have you yourself worked for the U.S military industrial complex?
No.
Have you gone to China and seen with your own eyes where they are making F35 parts?
No.
Have you worked for both the U.S and Chinese govts/militaries in a way that you can compare both armies efficiencies, bureacratic shortcomings etc?
Nope.
And yet you are the expert on U.S bureaucratic shortcomings. A military that brings the war to you. A military that comes to you within a matter of hours… within hours they are on your soil. And you suggest they have organizational shortcomings and gross corruption?
