Now I know that the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) need to replace our aging F-5 fighters. The F-5 are about 20 years old so replacing them is understandable. However, why in the world are we even considering the F-35 Joint
Strike Fighter as a possible replacement?
First off, the F-35 are still in development...since 2001! The American single-engine fighter has been on the drawing board for over a decade and it's still not ready. Second; the development of the F-35 has been plagued with delays. Everything from its software, to its engine, even its fuel dump system has faced some problems during its development. Third and most importantly; there is the issue of its cost. The delays of its development has caused the cost of the plane to spike. The Pentagon has estimated that the cost for the development of each F-35 to be around US$150 million.
US$150 million for each plane? Come on, does Singapore really need a squadron of fighter jets each costing US$150 million? Like I said earlier, I can understand the need for the RSAF to get new planes but the F-35? Forget them; they are not ready and even if they are, they will cost too much. The RSAF should and need to look for alternatives.
2 comments:
I am not an avionic expert, just google for info and this came to view:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/03/04/when-money-is-no-object-the-strange-saga-of-the-f-35/
Why is this government so hell-bend on purchasing this expensive toy with all its glitches and faults? What happen to due diligence of the best of the bestest?
Hopefully sense will prevail. Even if the US can one day get the F-35 to work, there's still the question of how well it'll do in real combat situation. There are better, more sensible choices out there than the F-35.
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