Service Life Extension for the Warthog?

[keefe]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/aug/31/air-force-plans-head-head-tests-f-35-10/

[mu03eng]

Will you end up playing the Cary Elwes role in the movie?

[PBRme]

So is this like Space Cowboys where they have to go round up a bunch of old farts to run the tests

[keefe]

Will you end up playing the Cary Elwes role in the movie?

Only if they don't want me for the Julie Andrews part...

I think what we are seeing is that the USAF is recognizing the inherent issues associated with multi-role role airframes - they do many things though none particularly well. I think the Army has been very concerned about losing CAS and has been very vocal about it within DoD and before Congress.

The JSX is now projected to cost taxpayers $1.5 Trillion with a T and is so riddled with issues that it's IOC is now pushed back to 2021.

The Warthog has significant support on Congress and, in light of the problems plaguing the JSX, will likely gain support going forward. What's not to love about an ugly aircraft that is empirically established as the finest CAS platform ever invented and costs a mere $11 million per airframe? The Air Force can buy more than 16 A 10s for the price of one F 35.

[keefe]

So is this like Space Cowboys where they have to go round up a bunch of old farts to run the tests

Some old Warthog Drivers still bench 400 pounds then run 6 miles in under 34 minutes...

[mu03eng]

Only if they don't want me for the Julie Andrews part...

I think what we are seeing is that the USAF is recognizing the inherent issues associated with multi-role role airframes - they do many things though none particularly well. I think the Army has been very concerned about losing CAS and has been very vocal about it within DoD and before Congress.

The JSX is now projected to cost taxpayers $1.5 Trillion with a T and is so riddled with issues that it's IOC is now pushed back to 2021.

The Warthog has significant support on Congress and, in light of the problems plaguing the JSX, will likely gain support going forward. What's not to love about an ugly aircraft that is empirically established as the finest CAS platform ever invented and costs a mere $11 million per airframe? The Air Force can buy more than 16 A 10s for the price of one F 35.

I don't remember Julie Andrews being in the Pentagon Wars

Not to mention they have a platform that has proven survivable in the crucible of low altitude, multi-dimensional threat environment.  You could not pay me enough money to go below 10000 AGL in an F-35

Someone's brain child was the JSF but to justify it they had to gobble up as many missions as roles as possible.  It really is the Bradley all over again.

[GooooMarquette]

Some old Warthog Drivers still bench 400 pounds then run 6 miles in under 34 minutes...

So the plane doesn't have power steering?

[keefe]

It really is the Bradley all over again.

There are parallels but the key difference between the M2 and the F 35 programs is that the Bradley program cost $5.6 billion while the latest projections for the JSX will exceed $1.5 trillion...

Criminal.

[keefe]

So the plane doesn't have power steering?

Someone's gotta push the damn thing on the ramp in order to pop the clutch...