David Archibald, Daily Caller: American Gripen: The Solution To The F-35 Nightmare
One thing that has helped keep the F-35 program going is a perception that there is no ‘Plane B.’ As Margaret Thatcher famously said,“There is no alternative.” No matter how bad the F-35 is, it is going to be built because the U.S. Air Force needs something to replace its worn-out fighters. That appears to be the fallback position in Lockheed Martin’s marketing plan for the F-35. The Department of Defence though is fully aware of the extraordinary cost of the F-35 relative to its performance and is looking to scale back its procurement. That could result in a death spiral as falling numbers send unit costs through the roof.
This figure shows U.S. Air Force fighter and light bomber procurement from 1975 with a projection to 2030:
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WNU Editor: Too much money, reputations, and careers are dependent on the F-35 .... there is going to be no shift in buying another fighter jet .... especially one with a Swedish background. In the meantime, the problems with the F-35 continues .... DoD Weapons Tester Concerned about F-35 Software Development (Defense News).