Entire fleet of Stealth Fighters - grounded.

[James48843]

Where does the money go?

For stuff like this....

In past few decades, the U.S. Air Force has spent untold billions researching and developing a family of stealth fighter jets that are supposed to be generations ahead of any dogfighters in the sky.


But after building more than 170 F-22 Raptors and a handful of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, not a single one is available for service. The Air Force currently has zero flyable stealth fighters. None.


The vaunted F-22 has been grounded with a possible faulty oxygen system since May. Production of the last few Raptors is even on hold, because the jets can’t fly from the factory.


Last week, test flights for the newer F-35 were suspended, too, because of a valve problem in the plane’s integrated power package. It’s the third time this year that JSFs have been grounded. Tests may resume as early as next week. Then again, they may not.

Billions and billions go to defense contracting companies, yet the weapons systems they produce don't fly. How's that for throwing your money down a hole?

More:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/08/entire-u-s-stealth-fighter-fleet-grounded


Stealth Fighers like the F-117 cost the government over $42 million dollars apiece. They carry up to 5,000 pounds of bombs.


Back in World War II, the Martin B-26 carried about the same bomb load, a much longer range, and cost just $156,000 a piece.
http://www.b-26mhs.org/archives/reports/b26_cost_sheet.pdf Sure, it was a little bit slower than the F-117, but for the price of a single F-117, you could buy 270 of them.

 

[RealMoneyIssues]

Oh wow, don't even get me started on Government (and yes, DOD too) waste, fraud, and abuse... It is truly disgusting !!

This could be a very long thread and probably banned to your site...

P.S. Gotta love the GAO catalog...

 

[jpcavin]

God, when will this ever end?

 

[wwwtractor]

The more complex a system, the more likely it is to fail.

 

[RealMoneyIssues]

The more complex a system, the more likely it is to fail.

True, we should just shop at retail stores instead of paying the 2x-4x prices in the GAO catalog. Can you imagine how much we could save on just that?

Oh, and getting rid of base-line budgeting...

Also, how about building a carrier complete instead of building the NIMITZ and then paying to upgrade to current technology and requirements; OH, and quit paying the builder to fix their mistakes... grrrrrrrrrr..........

 

[JTH]

James get your sources straight. The F-117 is retired, quit looking for slants that fit your anti-defense view.

 

[Warrenlm]

you could buy 270 of them.

But you'd now have to find kamikaze suicide flight crews to fly them. James, did you wear the uniform in your past?

 

[nasa1974]

OK! I'm not sure if James has an anti-defense slant or not but it is frustrating on the government waste in all departments. We spend billions on complicated equipment and it doesn't work to specifications and we don't always hold the contractor accountable. I think we can all agree that waste and fraud is frustrating.
With that said I have some issues; 1) Out of all those B-26's built how many of them were grounded do to complications or never flew. 2) Is the $156,000 an average cost for all the aircraft? If it is you should have stated that. I took one contract and the cost was $80,227 each another was $160,836 each. All the contracts were fixed price but one that was a cost plus fixed fee. and 3) You can't compare todays cost to the cost of aircraft built in the 1940's without adding inflation to your bottom line.

 

[nnuut]

F-117!!!! I was in the USAF and worked 15 years Civil Service for them to, they probably only use 1 or 2 of those things now and mainly just for Air Shows!

 

[James48843]

James get your sources straight. The F-117 is retired, quit looking for slants that fit your anti-defense view.

Retired. Yep. Sure. That's what they tell everyone, anyway.

You know that F-117 was out there for a number of years before they revealed they even existed....

P.S.- I have no anti-defense views.



having served 21 years in uniform, I DO have some opinions about contractors, however.

Not a single F-22 is in flyable condition right now, having spent over $150 million per plane, they have a slight carbon monoxide problem poisoning the pilots. Not to good. The contractor says only a bunch more millions to fix them, eh?


And the F-35 is grounded too. Also a bad deal.

Thank goodness we still have a few F-16's floating around to defend America these days .

 

[RealMoneyIssues]

Thank goodness we still have a few F-16's floating around to defend America these days .

Don't forget the F/A-18 fleet

 

[nnuut]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_F-117_Nighthawk