Classical Argument Position Paper

Advances in aviation technology show that America is capable of producing some amazing flying machines. One of the most recently developed, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft, has become somewhat of a controversy. With its stealth capabilities and superior avionics there is no doubt the F-35 is one of the most advanced multi-role fighter aircraft ever built, but all this technology comes at a price. From its development in the 1990s, the F-35 was built with the idea that one aircraft could replace multiple aging designs, while having the capability to perform all associated combat roles. Here lies the problem, after close to twenty years America still doesn’t have a combat ready jet in the F-35. Given this, I will to show that the F-35 aircraft is a waste of taxpayer money, and is plagued with issues. Starting with its cost, I will show how the program is rapidly climbing over budget with no signs of slowing down. Furthermore, development struggles and design flaws have slowed production and ultimately combat readiness.

From its inception the F-35 was designed to be a versatile and superior weapon, but those attributes come at a price that is on the rise. According to Francis (2014) “The F-35 has come to symbolize all that's wrong with American defense spending: uncontrolled bloat, unaccountable manufacturers (in this case, Lockheed Martin), and an internal Pentagon culture that cannot adequately track taxpayer dollars.” In fact, the Joint Strike Fighter program has failed to reach certainty in its cost and budget projections so many times over the years that it has become a key component of DOD’s risk-reduction efforts. Although the JSF program remains a top priority in national defense, it is currently behind schedule and plagued with cost overruns. (United States Government Accountability Office, 2014) With the cost of the program estimated to exceed $1.5 trillion over its life time, taxpayers could pay between $148 and $337 million per jet, depending on...