To think that other countries are investing into young hackers who can take down our entire electrical in seconds for just 10 bucks, a playboy magazine and a Snickers bar..

osamanobama said: Marks said: So they're about $14-15 trillion in debt but they can afford another trillion on new planes? Holy shit that's messed up dude. it will cost $1 trillion to buy 2,500 jets, fly them, maintain them, etc over 50 years. really not that much when you think about it, these planes will be viable for 50 years, before they need a major successor. each Jet costs roughly 122million to make currently. also the F-35, is set to replace the F-16, A-10, and the F/A-18, and others so again we will be decomishoning many of our older fleets (which saves money), and started this program in its place. and if you think about it, these are a hell of a lot cheaper than our B-2 bombers, which cost like $800million to make each (we only have like 20 of these). of course this is a completely different type of plane. with completely different objectives.

Viable for 50 years? I highly doubt that. The current fleet of 4th gen fighter A/S and Strike jet's lifespan is around 30 years but have been kept in service longer due to F-35 delays and this has resulted in numerous accidents due to the age of the aircrafts. Even if we take the highly dubious claim of 50 year lifespan into account(that's a long time by which time it will be quite obsolete) your looking at an average cost of $20 billion a year in 2012 money to buy and maintain the entire fleet.

NiKKoM said: To think that other countries are investing into young hackers who can take down our entire electrical in seconds for just 10 bucks, a playboy magazine and a Snickers bar..

You can make an emp bomb for almost the same price and no need to feed them snickers bars or give them playboys.

Badassbab said: osamanobama said: Marks said: So they're about $14-15 trillion in debt but they can afford another trillion on new planes? Holy shit that's messed up dude. it will cost $1 trillion to buy 2,500 jets, fly them, maintain them, etc over 50 years. really not that much when you think about it, these planes will be viable for 50 years, before they need a major successor. each Jet costs roughly 122million to make currently. also the F-35, is set to replace the F-16, A-10, and the F/A-18, and others so again we will be decomishoning many of our older fleets (which saves money), and started this program in its place. and if you think about it, these are a hell of a lot cheaper than our B-2 bombers, which cost like $800million to make each (we only have like 20 of these). of course this is a completely different type of plane. with completely different objectives. Viable for 50 years? I highly doubt that. The current fleet of 4th gen fighter A/S and Strike jet's lifespan is around 30 years but have been kept in service longer due to F-35 delays and this has resulted in numerous accidents due to the age of the aircrafts. Even if we take the highly dubious claim of 50 year lifespan into account(that's a long time by which time it will be quite obsolete) your looking at an average cost of $20 billion a year in 2012 money to buy and maintain the entire fleet.

you have to realize, that our planes our so advance that they last many many many years. heck, the F-15 Eagle, the most iconic fighter jet there is, was first used in the early 70's, its been nearly 40 years, and its still used very often, and its not set to retire for like another decade of so, so that right there is 50 years, and its still very viable.

so 50 years is really not unheard of. We still use planes from the 50's and 60's. like the AC-130.

and the F-35 is a very multifacited jet, so it will be fufilling the roles of what used to take 3-4 jets.

Marks said: So they're about $14-15 trillion in debt but they can afford another trillion on new planes? Holy shit that's messed up dude.

Its already been appropriated, and the costs are spread out over 50 years. At our current budget, thats $20b/yr or about 1/30th of the defense budget.

The American military procurement process is a mess, and it drives up costs far beyond what it should. Its making the flyaway cost of what we're building too high for usage. Many other countries are building and deploying their equipment at much more reasonable prices.

The American military is the pinnacle of why big government sucks. There is no single entity that spends more money than the DoD. This is what we get for it.

Badassbab said: osamanobama said: Marks said: So they're about $14-15 trillion in debt but they can afford another trillion on new planes? Holy shit that's messed up dude. it will cost $1 trillion to buy 2,500 jets, fly them, maintain them, etc over 50 years. really not that much when you think about it, these planes will be viable for 50 years, before they need a major successor. each Jet costs roughly 122million to make currently. also the F-35, is set to replace the F-16, A-10, and the F/A-18, and others so again we will be decomishoning many of our older fleets (which saves money), and started this program in its place. and if you think about it, these are a hell of a lot cheaper than our B-2 bombers, which cost like $800million to make each (we only have like 20 of these). of course this is a completely different type of plane. with completely different objectives. Viable for 50 years? I highly doubt that. The current fleet of 4th gen fighter A/S and Strike jet's lifespan is around 30 years but have been kept in service longer due to F-35 delays and this has resulted in numerous accidents due to the age of the aircrafts. Even if we take the highly dubious claim of 50 year lifespan into account(that's a long time by which time it will be quite obsolete) your looking at an average cost of $20 billion a year in 2012 money to buy and maintain the entire fleet.

Lets see:

B-52 bomber - 60 years old, 85 still in service

B-1 Lancer - 38 years old, 101 still in service

F-15 Eagle - 40 years old, ~1,200 produced and in service

F-16 Falcon - 38 years old, ~5,000 produced and in service

F-18 Hornet - 32 years old, 1,500 build and in service

A-10 Thunderbold II - 40 years old, >100 in service

 

American planes last a long time. All of our equipment does. Look at M-16s. They were developed in the 50s, deployed in the 60s, and our army still uses them. Heck, they are adapting the Carl Gustav 85mm and that design is over 60 years old. The Navy is just starting to build the Ford-class carriers, as the Nimitz carriers were constructed before the Vietnam war, and designed about 50 years ago.

The F-35 should last 50 years. The real problem is with the screwed up procurement process that has delayed its production while armament companies get favorable contracts.

mrstickball said: Marks said: So they're about $14-15 trillion in debt but they can afford another trillion on new planes? Holy shit that's messed up dude. Its already been appropriated, and the costs are spread out over 50 years. At our current budget, thats $20b/yr or about 1/30th of the defense budget. The American military procurement process is a mess, and it drives up costs far beyond what it should. Its making the flyaway cost of what we're building too high for usage. Many other countries are building and deploying their equipment at much more reasonable prices. The American military is the pinnacle of why big government sucks. There is no single entity that spends more money than the DoD. This is what we get for it.

you also get electromagnetic rail guns, which is pretty cool. 

also cool...the navies killer dolphins with laser beams on their heads...or something like that...

Title and stuff is really over blown.

This is a delayed and costly project. However, it will be better than all of the jets its replacing by a large margin AND we'll still have quite a few F-22s (178 total) in service for quite a while before its replaced by its real successor (story incorrectly relates F-35 to F-22, 35 is not intended to replace it).

F-22 will be replaced when other nations have combat jets proven to beat it. We already have been designing and testing, but just not deployed and mass produced. No need to waste those funds yet while we can continue to advance it until needed.

People have to remember that the US spends A LOT on DoD budget every year on black projects that go decades before reveal. Its an as needed judgement and right now we don't need to demonstrate something far superior to F-22 as the rest of the world doesn't do that yet either.

Original stealth fighter was began in the 50's and I have pics from users in late 70's testing final equipment that wasn't introduced to the world until 1988. (I was part of its retirement due software I maintained that was part of its logistical maintenance)

MrBubbles said: mrstickball said: Marks said: So they're about $14-15 trillion in debt but they can afford another trillion on new planes? Holy shit that's messed up dude. Its already been appropriated, and the costs are spread out over 50 years. At our current budget, thats $20b/yr or about 1/30th of the defense budget. The American military procurement process is a mess, and it drives up costs far beyond what it should. Its making the flyaway cost of what we're building too high for usage. Many other countries are building and deploying their equipment at much more reasonable prices. The American military is the pinnacle of why big government sucks. There is no single entity that spends more money than the DoD. This is what we get for it. you also get electromagnetic rail guns, which is pretty cool.  also cool...the navies killer dolphins with laser beams on their heads...or something like that...

Interesting thing about the rail gun is that the project was/is pretty darn cheap... Under $1b USD for the whole shebang. Money well spent, IMO.

mrstickball said: MrBubbles said: mrstickball said: Marks said: So they're about $14-15 trillion in debt but they can afford another trillion on new planes? Holy shit that's messed up dude. Its already been appropriated, and the costs are spread out over 50 years. At our current budget, thats $20b/yr or about 1/30th of the defense budget. The American military procurement process is a mess, and it drives up costs far beyond what it should. Its making the flyaway cost of what we're building too high for usage. Many other countries are building and deploying their equipment at much more reasonable prices. The American military is the pinnacle of why big government sucks. There is no single entity that spends more money than the DoD. This is what we get for it. you also get electromagnetic rail guns, which is pretty cool.  also cool...the navies killer dolphins with laser beams on their heads...or something like that... Interesting thing about the rail gun is that the project was/is pretty darn cheap... Under $1b USD for the whole shebang. Money well spent, IMO.

$240 million so far according to this... http://defense.aol.com/2012/02/28/new-navy-rail-gun-fires-50-miles-with-no-propellant-latest-test/