Always amazes me how many people just trash something that they probably dont know anything about. Yes, they fixed the carrier tail hook and it will start carrier testing later this year. Things are looking good for the program. All testing is going good here. Yes there are hic-ups, but what program didnt. My plane is flying great. We are hitting many test points, and the ones we miss, we are going back, making sure we get it right, then fly it again. The F-35 is twice as loud as an F-16, and I would compare it to a F-22 taking off noise wise. How is it a waste of taxpayer money? Do you have proof? How did it fail? Proof? Just curious how people make these claims, but no proof to back it up. Apparently we are doing something right, Turkey just secured a order of 100. Japan has bought 50. South Korea just placed an order. From what I have seen, the flanker will never know the F-35 is there till its too late. This plane has a lot of amazing things going on with it, its a shame the general public only knows little of it....
BTW, if your curious about how I may know this. I am a Crew Chief on the F-35 at Edwards AFB, AF-03 is my bird.
Turkey affirmed that it plans to order two F-35s, and to eventually acquire 100 jets, but the actual order for the first two has not been placed yet.
F-35 is twice as loud as a Super Hornet - which is VERY loud.
Italy has cut its planned order twice, from ~130 to 90, and now 45....
Other European nations have trimmed planned orders - or reconsidered competitions - and the US services have delayed their purchases significantly - but still plan on acquiring the re-baselined number of ~2400. The Navy for instance, has proposed cutting its orders in half between now and 2019.
The program has had a horrible acquisition history. Back in the day, USAF officials testified to Congress that the flyaway price for F-35A (the CTOL version) would be about $35M. The price has declined steadily in the ramp-up to FRP, but it still costs the government - thus the taxpayer - $110M to deliver the jet on the ramp at Fort Worth. To actually support and operate the jet cost significantly more on an unit basis, ~$20M. This is why some people call it a waste...