• JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    I think you fundamental misunderstand what military spending like the f35 is for. It’s purpose is to keep a war (like China invading Tiwan) from happening because the other side knows that it won’t do well. A successful system isn’t necessarily one that does well in combat, but one that keeps the fight from happening in the first place. Since war is so astronomically expensive, even extremely expensive systems are worth it to prevent war.

    Also, compare to other modern fighters. F22 is something like 5x the price, it’s 20M cheaper than the f15ex, and is only about 15M more expensive than the super hornet. It offers a high stealth capability at a significantly lower price point and higher quality than the f22.

    If you buy into the amount of combat power needed to deter a war (I think it should be much lower than current US estimates, but I guess Russia still managed to miscalculate) then they’re a good investment. Any which way, they’re a good modern addition to a very high tech fighting force.

    Here’s more info on the f16 vs f35 tests you might be referencing. https://youtu.be/R_aID6_naNU

    Here’s a good overview of the f35 and what capabilities it brings to the table. https://youtu.be/7SNALUoybt0

    Both by Alex Hollings, award winning aviation journalist.