Has Canada made a big mistake in purchasing the F-35 stealth aircraft?
The Pentagon is second guessing their upcoming inventory numbers of aircraft.
The report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office indeed paints a challenging picture for the users of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft. The projected costs for sustaining the F-35 Lightening II's have seen a significant increase, rising from $1.1 trillion in 2018 to $1.58 trillion five years later, which is a 44% increase.
This trend of increasing costs is expected to continue in the future, which could put a strain on the resources of the Department of Defense and other users of the aircraft. The report suggests that despite efforts, it is unlikely that there will be a fundamental change in the estimated operating costs of the aircraft.
This situation underscores the complexity and challenges associated with maintaining and operating advanced multi-role aircraft like the F-35 Lightning II. It also highlights the importance of effective cost management and strategic planning in defense spending.
The reduction in F-35 sorties can be attributed to a few key factors:
Logistics and Maintenance Challenges: The F-35 Lightning II is the most technologically complex aircraft in history, and maintaining it has proven to be a significant challenge1. The logistics system, including the Autonomic Logistic Information System (ALIS) used to track and order parts, has faced various issues1.
Upgrade Delays: The F-35 program has experienced delays and cost growth on a suite of upgrades known as Block 42. This has led to a reimagining of the upgrade plan, focusing on delivering ‘must-have’ content2.
Software Problems: The Pentagon has refused to accept deliveries of new F-35s from Lockheed Martin due to software problems with Technology Refresh-33.
These factors have led to lower sortie-generation rates for the F-35 Lightning II than originally envisioned1. The Pentagon and industry are working to improve their ability to maintain and sustain the aircraft1.
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Now the question remains. How can Canada afford these aircraft? Would it have made sense to have 2 different aircraft say....the Swedish SAAB JAS 39E Gripen as well as 22-28 F-35 Lightening II? We have already seen the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) reduce flight times significantly due to operational costs.
What do you think?
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