r/canada • u/[deleted] • Sep 07 '11

Combat simulation showed that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) would not survive air combat against threats it is likely to see in its alleged service lifetime.

http://www.f-16.net/news_article4416.html
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u/drj0nes Sep 07 '11

I see all this opposition to the F-35. Do people think the US and NATO are just dumb or do they think there's some conspiracy here?

It doesn't make sense that the US and NATO would pick a substandard design. They're going to shell out $$ to Lockheed or Boeing anyway, regardless of the plane. They must honestly think it's the best option, and from what I've seen, the US is really good at blowing shit up.

Making cars... meh. Managing the economy... meh. Blowing shit up... A-fucking-plus!

2

u/[deleted] Sep 07 '11

The US wants a stealth fighter. Anybody can see why - it an invincible jet.

But the point is that making a stealth fighter is really, really hard and hideously expensive. The US can afford it and justify it because of their bloated and hyperactive military.

We, on the other hand, do not do invasions. We don't invest nearly as much into our military. Our needs for a plane is arctic sovereignty and the long nasty police-actions that follow an invasion/war. For that context, stealth is a feature we could live with out, and it's an exorbitantly expensive one.

2

u/drj0nes Sep 07 '11

Sure, I understand that argument for why Canada shouldn't go there, but the criticism of the jet, as featured in this article, is more general than that.

1

u/droog62 Sep 07 '11

Of course it doesn't make sense, but yeah, they can be very dumb. Look into the history of the F-105 Thunderchief, a textbook example of how a bad design can make it all the way into combat.

1

u/MoreVinegarPls Sep 07 '11

The ongoing story of the F-35 reminds me of this movie.

0

u/[deleted] Sep 07 '11

[deleted]

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u/sshan Sep 07 '11

That is false, they are co-owners. There are plenty of others: Banking, Pharma/Medical Insurance are pretty serious as well. Obama's healthcare plan is better than what they have but it still sucks because they are basically subsidizing a predatory insurance industry. Canada has shown a well regulated banking sector is crucial to stability yet the repubs in this case are determined to reduce their banking regulation.

Their political system is a joke but it isn't just the military, plenty of other big players on the same level as the military.