The F-35: Is the world's most expensive weapons program worth it? - CNN
The fifth-generation stealth fighter plane was originally conceived in 2001 to upgrade the U. S. military's aging tactical fleet. The fighter jet has been in development for nearly 15 years, weathered half a dozen years of testing and experienced myriad hardware malfunctions and software glitches along the way. The F-35, also referred to as the Joint Strike Fighter, is touted as the most lethal and versatile aircraft of the modern era. The fifth-generation stealth fighter plane was originally conceived in 2001 to upgrade the U. S. military's aging tactical fleet to ensure that rivals couldn't challenge the United States in the air. "Air superiority is an essential tenet in our national defense strategy," said Rep. "We have a whole host of aging air platforms, some with technology dating back to the '60s and '70s. ". "Air superiority was not an issue in Iraq and Afghanistan," Miller noted. "But with the President's strategy to rebalance our forces back to the Pacific, and given China's territorial aggression in the South China Sea and Russia's aggression in Ukraine, having this air superiority proves to be a strategic deterrent... Source: www.cnn.com
