To the Point
Is the US Building an "Airplane to Nowhere"?
The F-35 fighter-bomber was grounded again this week — the most expensive weapons system in history is too dangerous to fly. Is the F-35 a high-tech requirement for future warfare, or a pork-barrel project that will be obsolete when it finally gets off the ground?
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenThe F-35 fighter-bomber was grounded again this week — the most expensive weapons system in history is too dangerous to fly. A supersonic “stealth” aircraft with different versions for the Navy, Air Force and Marines, the F-35 was purchased before it was tested. After multiple failures, the cost is now $400 billion, with the House and Senate providing even more than the Pentagon is asking for. Is the F-35 a high-tech requirement for future warfare, or a pork-barrel project that will be obsolete when it finally gets off the ground?
Also, Bashar al Assad is sworn in for another 7 years as Syria's president, and Israel’s Netanyahu finally speaks his mind.
Banner Image: The U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay.
In this episode
3 storiesA Confident Assad Sworn in for Another 7 Years as Syria’s President
President Obama once said Syria’s President Bashar al Assad would “have to go,” but today he was sworn in again in Damascus for a third 7-year term. Despite three years of civil war with a death toll of 170,000, his inaugural speech on state television sounded more confident than ever.
Read the story7 minThe F-35 Striker Jet and Pork Barrel Politics
More than 15 years in the making, the F-35 striker jet still has trouble landing on wet runways. The most expensive weapons system in history was grounded again this week, missing several airshows in England. They were much-needed marketing opportunities to help sell the F-35 fighter-bomber to foreign countries, amortizing increasing costs.
Read the story35 minSurprise Look at Netanyahu’s Worldview
Last week, on day four of what Israel calls “Operation Protective Edge,” Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu held a news conference in Hebrew. His direct remarks about the current crisis were widely reported — but that wasn’t all he said. David Horovitz is former editor in chief of the Jerusalem Post, now founding editor of The Times of Israel.
Read the story8 min
