Which kept the manufacturers working, kept the supply chains moving, and aligned nearly all of the west onto a shared, network-able platform? These things literally get more deadly when more are in use. All in a jet that is better than most (not all) of the near peer opponents.
Man it certainly ran over budget but now it’s a steal of a deal for all that allied interop.
Plus keeping the aerospace contractors moving means you keep potential wartime production avenues open and lubed.
Edit also I’d assume defense planners saw all that value beyond the sticker price, so when the public hears “budget overrun” the defense planners said “nah, we good”
The only cost I can find that is anywhere near that order of magnitude for the F-35 is the total lifetime cost out to 2070 (!!!), which includes operations and maintenance in the figure for the approx seven decades of its total expected life.
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Which kept the manufacturers working, kept the supply chains moving, and aligned nearly all of the west onto a shared, network-able platform? These things literally get more deadly when more are in use. All in a jet that is better than most (not all) of the near peer opponents.
Man it certainly ran over budget but now it’s a steal of a deal for all that allied interop.
Plus keeping the aerospace contractors moving means you keep potential wartime production avenues open and lubed.
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Finally? We been here like 6 minutes dude.
Edit also I’d assume defense planners saw all that value beyond the sticker price, so when the public hears “budget overrun” the defense planners said “nah, we good”
an eternity
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U good dude?
The only cost I can find that is anywhere near that order of magnitude for the F-35 is the total lifetime cost out to 2070 (!!!), which includes operations and maintenance in the figure for the approx seven decades of its total expected life.