Big Al still couldn't afford one of these!

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

To get our budget in line, we need to look at everything, that includes defense, and social services.

Agree 100%, but the F-35 as a replacement for the F-16s and F-18s is the wrong place to look.

I looked at the stats on the Wiki article, but let me ask you this: how are those 8000 tanks getting to our soil (or Japans for that matter).
You want to have concern about Chinese developments, look at their anti aircraft carrier missile development - THAT threatens our regional influence (not our homeland security mind you). Show me a country that is developing a stealth mega-fortress troop carrier that can land 10000+ troops on mexican or canadian soil with no warning, and I will genuinely believe in the need for a full scale replacement of our jet fighter corps but you can't, now or in the next 10 years.

Those 8000 tanks could pretty easily get to India, S. Korea, or into the Middle East without much resistance from anyone. And yes, the anti-aircraft carrier missle is a major concern. However, complete air dominance would allow us to destroy any of those missle sites if necessary.

Yes China has advanced stealth fighters (in a few years) but you don't fight stealth with upgraded fighters, you fight them with R&D into missile tech.

you actually fight them with a better fighter, like the F-35 and advanced missle tech.

No where did I say I was against an R&D budget, BUT 2,334 new planes is not an R&D budget, it is a full scale replacement. You do that when the budget is in the black OR when your current equipment is on it's last legs. Ours has proven it's not.

The F-16 & F-18s were put into service in the late 70s early 80s, they are reaching the end of their lifecycle.

You put the program on hold for 3-4 years, what happens to all the jobs this program creates? What costs will be associated with re-starting the program? Does there need to be better oversight of these large gov't procurment programs, absolutely. But again, there also needs to be better oversight of SS & Medicare. We need to look at fixing SS & Medicare and repealing Obamacare immeidately as the price tags and financial sustainment models of these programs are way out of whack and will be pushing the US far more quickly into insolvency than the F-35 program.