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      fedilink
      71 year ago

      That has turned into one of the most useful political tools ever made.

      For all its flaws, it’s an aircraft that when it showed up to the first Red Flag training series, it flew against the best fighter pilots and aircraft in the western world racking up a 78:1 kill ratio.

      The cost has come down on A models, flight availability has risen, and costs per airframe are dropping as costing and maintenance costs reduce.

      It’s got problems. It has lord of problems. It’s got a reputation as a failure of a program from the early 2Ks, but it is in reality the most successful political military program ever created. Every. Single. One. Of NATO countries want them, but just need to figure out how to buy them. 16 countries we want able to integrate and work closely with us have them in order or are flying them.

      They offer capabilities simply not possible with any other aircraft, and quarterback the battle space with sensor integration from inputs across all aircraft, radars, and it’s own sensors. This gets pushed out to every other data linked aircraft in the battle space.

      The F-35 is an incredible and continually getting better program.