Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Andrew Cockburn
“Recall that in 2001 the Pentagon announced that the F-35 program would cost $200 billion and would enter service in 2008. Almost a quarter century later, acquisition costs have doubled, the total program price is nudging $2 trillion, and engineers are still struggling to make the thing work properly. Thus, succeeding chapters of the F-47’s history will likely have to cover the galloping cost overruns, unfulfilled technological promises, ever-lengthening schedule shortfalls, and ultimate production cancellation when only a portion of the force had been built. There seems little risk in predicting the F-47 — ‘a beautiful number,’ said the 47th president — will follow the same dollar-strewn path. As Trump truthfully remarked, ‘we can’t tell you the price.'” (04/07/25)