F35 vs. A10?

[Speaker to Animals]

Absolutely nothing about the F-35 is "economical". It's the biggest defense boondoggle in American history.

[Smitty-48]

$85 million for an F-35A is the best deal going, which is why everyone is buying it I suppose. /shrugs

[Speaker to Animals]

Eighty-five million is not the actual price. That's not including the support and all the fixes to the legions of defects on that fucking thing. Nor is it the cost of maintenance and other support costs from Lockmart. Even if it were "only" eighty-five million per plane, you are talking about what is essentially an eighty-five million dollar F-16 with stealth that doesn't actually work since our adversaries all know how to target it now, limited range, and limited payload.

[Smitty-48]

12 air forces in the program already, more to come. F-35 is already the biggest fighter program in the world, and it will probably top out at over 20 air forces in the program, 4000 to 5000 air frames over the life of the program. F-35 is selling like hot cakes and it will continue to for some time, Tyler Rogoway notwithstanding.

[Speaker to Animals]

The extent of the corruption does not somehow counter the fact that it's an overpriced piece of shit, that literally anybody can figure out how to target "stealth" fighters nowadays, and that it's actual performance, range, and payload are so abysmal that it can't even compare to aircraft produced to fill similar roles forty years ago.

[Smitty-48]

Again, at least 12 air forces so far, including your own, say otherwise, hyperbolic media grandstanding notwithstanding./shrugs

[Speaker to Animals]

It has not even completed testing. The defects were so great it's YEARS behind schedule. Furthermore, to pretend as though the generals who are backing this program are not part of the Lockmart system is either naive or fucking dishonest as hell.

[Smitty-48]

Again, 12 air forces, including your own, are all in on the program, so all is well for Lockheed Martin, plus a 2.89% dividend on top, and hopefully a share buy back here and there.

[Speaker to Animals]

You have some generals in the procurement process all for it. Probably because Lockmart secured high-paying jobs for when they retire from the Air Force. LMFAO

Like every other fucking thing in the military procurement process, you have to go talk to the guys actually doing shit who don't have their careers or money riding on it.

[C-Mag]

It has not even completed testing. The defects were so great it's YEARS behind schedule. Furthermore, to pretend as though the generals who are backing this program are not part of the Lockmart system is either naive or fucking dishonest as hell.

This is where I'm extremely skeptical.
The weapon system is not even completed testing and countries are basing defense on it. That sounds risky as hell, and frankly not too damn smart.

I take the OP as a question between using proven established weapons systems vs Unicorns and Rainbow fart promises.