The US jet fighter that can do it all—maybe

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101664089



The US jet fighter that can do it all—maybe
Jane Wells
Tuesday, 13 May 2014 | 2:17 PM ET

On a mile-long assembly line in Ft. Worth, Texas, Lockheed Martin is putting together a jet fighter that no one can match. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be stealthier, smarter, more capable, and more flexible than any aircraft ever built.

It better be. It's costing American taxpayers close to $1 billion. A month.

~snip~

$1 trillion program

A lot is riding on the Joint Strike Fighter's success. A hundred jets have been built so far, and they are being tested by the military. The first combat-ready airplane is slated to be delivered next year. Eventually there will be more than 2,400 flying for the U.S. military, with allies buying hundreds more.

However, the non-partisan Government Accountability Office found that issues remain with some of the jet's software, a problem that could again delay the rollout of an aircraft that has already dealt with an array of problems and seen its original price tag double. Developing, buying, and maintaining the F-35 program over the next half century will cost about $1 trillion, with a "T."