F-35 Plans Attack Civilians [View all]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/F-35-Plans-Attack-Civilian-by-William-Boardman-130424-829.html



Vermont F-35 Base Called Political Pork for Senior Democratic Senator

F-35 Plans Attack Civilians
By William Boardman
General News 4/24/2013 at 19:57:04

While it's too soon, perhaps, to say that the over-budget, overdue, and under-performing F-35 joint strike fighter is in a political tailspin, having its biggest Senate booster accused of pushing for political pork at the expense of his poorer constituents hasn't made the controversial stealth bomber's flight path less bumpy.

According to the Boston Globe, the Air Force "fudged" its assessment of the Vermont Air National Guard Base in Burlington, Vermont, in order to give Vermont's senior Senator, Patrick Leahy, D-VT, a political plum that could not be justified on its merits. Despite three years growing local opposition to basing an F-35 squadron of nuclear-capable stealth bombers in Vermont's most densely populated area, Leahy has spent more years cheerleading the Air Force plan while at the same time refusing to meet with his unhappy constituents.

The Air Force first planned to announce its final Burlington basing decision in the fall of 2012, then pushed it back to the winter of 2013, and then to the spring. On April 18, four days after the Globe story went largely unrebutted, the Air Force announced that the decision would not be made until the fall and that there would be yet another public comment period during the summer.

~snip~

Outside of Vermont, the F-35 program continues to struggle in more basic ways. Its cost is already 100% over budget, having cost more than $400 billion since 2001, with the plane still in the testing phase. Technical problems have grounded it for extended periods this year. And foreign buyers, having planned on a $70 million plane, are reducing or cancelling orders as the cost has risen above $200 million each (although DefenseWorld.net reported that the U.S. offered F-35s to South Korea at a discounted price of $180 million).



unhappycamper comment: I've had the cost of these flying pigs at $243 million a pop for a looooong time now.