Lockheed Martin, Air Force defend F-35

Lockheed Martin, Air Force defend F-35
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Sep 23, 2008 6:11:26 EDT

Lockheed Martin and the Air Force have taken an unusual step to publicly defend their $300 billion fighter jet program from recent criticisms of the plane’s capabilities, including reports that it performed poorly in a simulated fight with a Russian aircraft.

Both the contractor and the service said Friday that the F-35, which is intended to replace a variety of older aircraft flown by the Air Force, Marines and Navy, has outperformed all existing fighters in air combat simulations.

Company and service officials also said recent reports in the Australian press that the plane had been soundly defeated in computerized simulations by a Russian Sukhoi were not true. The test, part of a Pacific Vision Wargame, did not include air-to-air combat, according to Maj. Gen. Charles Davis, head of the Air Force’s F-35 program.

The timing of such negative press reports comes at a “critical point” for the entire program with only a few months left before international partners begin to make final buying decisions, Davis told reporters on a conference call.

“It’s disappointing but not surprising that they come when they do,” said Davis, who suggested that some critics were attempting to advance an agenda.


Rest of article about this $239,000,000 POS at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/09/ap_f35_defense_092208w/%2e

The F-22 is an expensive boondoggle, now they're wasting more money on this

The permanent Military Industrial Complex sucks ass

Of course it doesn't work very well, but what the hay?