Expensive Fighter Jet - How good is the world's most expensive fighter jet? The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the latest fighter jet to enter the US arsenal. The versatile, high-tech aircraft is expected to help the three military branches modernize their aging aircraft fleets. Now it is in the sky, but it is still plagued by technical issues and questions about its high price.
The US Navy's version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland on February 11, 2011. The F-35 is the future fighter jet for the US military, but its high cost and numerous delays have raised questions. US Navy/Lockheed Martin/Getty Images hide caption
Expensive Fighter Jet
After years on the drawing board and in test labs, a new fighter jet is entering the US arsenal. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is expected to help the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps replace their fleets of aging aircraft.
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But this aircraft became the most expensive military procurement program in history. While critics complain about the cost, the plane is now in the sky and the military says it is the basis for future defense strategies.
On a cold fall morning at Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, Florida, Air Force Lt. Col. Lee Cluss watches as a co-pilot prepares an F-35 for takeoff. Kloos loves technology - from the advanced helmet that allows him to see in the dark to the stealth technology that allows him to hide from radar.
"When he closes the gun bay door, everything on that plane is going to be pretty clean, whereas compared to the F-16 there, he's got external tanks hanging, and of course if he had weapons, he'd hang external weapons . throughout the plane,” Kloos says. “So [the F-35] is a very clean and smooth airplane to fly.”
Weapons and fuel are stored in internal bays so there are no sharp edges or bumps on the radar. The military says stealth is key to fighting future threats and maintaining an edge over China and Russia.
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For years, pilots like Kloos have relied on the F-16, the workhorse of the fighter fleet. But the F-16 is long in the tooth, and the US hasn't bought any new ones in years. So, the F-35 has to fulfill its mission: performing restricted areas or supporting special operations groups.
In the control room, pilots in green overalls check the weather near Eglin. The military wants to show off the plane to show that it's not just a flying money pit. But even though the F-35 is in the air, it still has years of testing ahead of it before it goes into combat.
"We know how the plane should fly and what we've seen in development tests," he said. "But we're trying to code it and record it and those publications that were written on previous planes when you're training. Well, that's what we're working on here."
Thanks to a strategy known as "simultaneity," the F-35 flies and is tested at the same time. The synergy is expected to accelerate the development of the F-35. But the plane is running late. Lockheed is embroiled in a dispute with the Pentagon over who should pay for the necessary fixes while test pilots work out the bugs.
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A big selling point of this aircraft is that it is expected to satisfy Air Force, Navy and Marine pilots. All relied on rosters of up to 10 aircraft for landing, air combat and surveillance.
Maj. Adam Levine says the F-35 is intended to replace three different aircraft: the F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8B Harrier and EA-6B Prowler currently in use by the Marine Corps. Corpus.
But for this, the manufacturer Lockheed should play with the beautiful design of this aircraft and add a special feature. The marine version has a visible bottom behind the cabin; it is the home of a powerful fan.
Levin explains that the fan provides the power and lift for short flights and vertical landings.
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In a vertical landing, the aircraft lands like a helicopter and flies in short lines, which is important for Marines. But this cut also makes the aircraft less stealthy and has greatly increased costs.
The Navy version of the plane costs more than $160 million, about a third more than the Air Force version, which costs about $130 million. Trying to hide the landing gear inside the Navy version was also a challenge.
Lt. Col. Todd Lafortune walks away from the plane after training. She's still wearing her pressure suit and is a bit flushed from the flight. LaFortune is now qualified as an F-35 instructor. He will never fly the old F-16 again.
"We decided that when you start flying the F-35, we're not going to be dual qualified. So now you have to work with the F-16 for the rest of your life," he says. "It was a sad day, but one of the best things I've ever done in my life is to be chosen to fly this plane and now I'm actually flying. It's great."
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This transition is symbolic of what the military is going through. Everything from new training facilities to maintenance hangars are being built in Eglin for its contribution to the more than 2,000 F-35s the US military plans to buy. The Pentagon is wedded to the jet, despite many clamoring that the Joint Strike Fighter would break the bank and steal the rest of the defense budget.
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