Former UK Defense Chief Slams F-35 as 'White Elephant' - DoD Buzz
Nick Harvey, who served as armed forces minister from 2010 to 2012, recently said of the fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, “You could argue it was already one of the biggest white elephants in history a long time ago,” according to an article... He added there was “not a cat in hell’s chance” the Joint Strike Fighter would be combat-ready by 2018, the article states. The Joint Strike Fighter is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program, estimated to cost about $400 billion to purchase 2,457 aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. Some 130 of the aircraft have been built so far, including three for the U. K. The F-35 is designed to replace such aircraft as the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter, A-10 Warthog attack plane, F/A-18 Hornet fighter and AV-8B Harrier jump jet, a... Complicating matters, the hardware and software must be built for three versions of the aircraft, the F-35A, F-35B and F-35C. Officials have said the program is making progress in reducing cost overruns and developmental challenges. Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, head of Air Combat Command, recently acknowledged the F-35A will only offer limited close air support when it begins. Source: www.dodbuzz.com
