Definitely a lovely aircraft, but my issue, it only has one engine, ok they are probably very reliable, but in the event that there is an issue in flight, I hate to think of the outcome, could be extremely expensive.
The F-35 pilots helmet costs 400k USD The Helmet Mounted Display System, combines FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) and DAS (Distributed Aperture System) imaging, night vision and a virtual HUD (Head Up Display).
Some disagree on our purchase of 72 of these, costing $20 Billion Dollars.
I don't get it?
The F35 is a first strike platform as distinct from a defensive one..
Name me one country we should contemplate striking, and why?
If we really wanted to defend our shores, you could do that for several orders of magnitude less money with something like the S400 defence system.
Name me one potential aggressor that has aircraft capable of avoiding the S400 system?
China? ... our biggest trading partner?
What could they possibly hope to gain by use of force that they aren't prepared to buy as they are currently doing?
Russia? ... isn't expansionist, isn't threatening us and spends its defence budget overwhelmingly on... errrmm .. defence
I could think of 100 better ways to spend $20 billion.... you know, like transport infrastructure, education, health care, energy security, FTTN, mixed lollies, a Staffy proof dog chew toy, etc, etc.
~2c
Last edited by clive milne; 15-09-2018 at 03:43 PM.
I could think of 100 better ways to spend $20 billion....
Part of it would need to be spent on ensuring we have enough fuel reserves in the country to keep em flying for more than a few days.
( let alone weapons to fire off )
Part of it would need to be spent on ensuring we have enough fuel reserves in the country to keep em flying for more than a few days.
( let alone weapons to fire off )
Hi Andrew,
Well, I might be naive, but I would have thought that the most important thing we could do to ensure continuity of (oil) supply, globally would be to stop trying to politically destabilise oil producing countries (like Russia, Venezuela, Syria, Iran and pretty much any other country trying to buy or sell crude in a currency other than $US) do a search on Bretton Woods and the petro-dollar for a trip down the rabbit hole.
The U.S. wrings its hands at so called meddling in its elections and we never hear the end of it, even after it has been proven to be fake news. All the while, not even pausing to blush at the hypocrisy of arming, training and funding "moderate rebels" ~cough~ ISIS ~cough~... for the purpose of regime change using violence.
What is moderate about a mercenary with a TOW missile escapes me entirely.
Why are we harping on about gun control laws and background checks in the West whilst we are happy to put AK47's in the hands of jihadi nut jobs when ever it serves a larger purpose?
Quote:
As many others with expensive offensive toys has learned,
if you dont have a solid logistical support chain
the toys become useless.
The F35 is already useless to all intents and purposes except for two instances.
That being:
1) the enrichment of the US military industrial complex.
2) avoiding the natural consequences of initiating first strike asymmetrical warfare against a semi-competent opponent, Israel bombing Iran for example.
Australia's interests are not served by this in any way that I can see.
Last edited by clive milne; 15-09-2018 at 02:08 PM.
F35 is (very, very) expensive, and (very, very overdue) junk.
The mistake was to try to build one platform that 'does everything'.
It can 'do' lots of different things, but it's not particularly good at any one role - a Swiss Army knife can't simultaneously be a good meat cleaver or hacksaw, or screwdriver.
Sometimes, you need a dedicated, specialist platform.
That isn't the F35!
Dean
For those of us that enjoy watching military aircraft without giving a rats about politics or the social impact of such a costly investment (which wasn't the point of the thread)...we will just enjoy the video Col provided. I have been following this on the Airforce website...first one arrives in Australia in December.
Israeli airforce has been forbidden to fly the F-35 over Syria after a stern request from the Pentagon after it was revealed that not only had Russia fully radar mapped the USAF's F-22 Raptor (meaning it's stealth is completely negated), but also the F-35 has been 90% mapped (and Israel got a shock when a Syrian S-200 SAM was able to target the F-35 and explode near - Israel and the Pentagon later claimed it was a "bird strike").
The USAF were mortified when their F-22's kept getting radar locks (complete tone) from unknown adversaries... Guess where the USAF relocated the F-22 to...Afghanistan...and use it for bombing
Guess where the USAF relocated the F-22 to...Afghanistan...and use it for bombing 
