Big Al still couldn't afford one of these!

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

Just a note, I'm not a democrat. Spending 382 Billion (156Million per plane) is OVERKILL. That 40 yr old technology has been upgraded and is currently capable of defending against any current (and reasonably foreseeable) threat.

Outside of Reagan's buildup, much of our defense technology hasn't had a major upgrade.

We spend more on defense than the combined defense expenditure of the next 5 closest competitors, and its rationale like above that enable rampant military spending.

Ask yourself this, how much do you spend a year on home security systems? Even include your percentage of local and state police through taxes. Is it more than your house payment or rent? More than your yearly health expenditures (including health insurance and tax subsidies to your local hospital)?

Fact of the matter is that while having a defense that can protect the US is important, the military has been built up far beyond a point that any legitimate threat to the US country would require.

No problem with killing the F-35B, don't see a huge need for VTOL fighters anyway. This will save a good chunk of $$$.

AW is right, commonality in logistics and training will save billions in the long run. Also, not sure if you've seen this:

Chinese Stealth Fighter / J-X / J-XX / XXJ / J-12 / J-13 / J-14 / J-20

Also, the last thing you kill is R&D on advanced technology, that's what keeps us safe. We are vastly outnumbered by the Chinese and if we sit back and let them catch us technologically, we are in dire straits. We can have economic issues we need to address, but at the end of the day the thing that secures our freedom is that we've got by far the biggest stick. If we lose that, within a few decades the US will cease to exist as we know it today.

Don't buy the left-wing hype on the defense budget, we are currently spending less than 4% of GDP on defense, and the defense budget creates hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs, in addition to the folks in the military.

You should read this:
U.S. Defense Spending and Budget: The Mismatch Between Spending and Resources | The Heritage Foundation

The real question that needs to be asked is why the U.S. budget has increased by over 18% in two years under Obama and a Dem controlled Congress. We also need to address the spiraling costs of SS, Medicare, and interest on the debt before we go slashing defense procurement to dangerous levels.