What if the World’s Most Expensive Fighter Planes Can’t Defeat Our Enemies?

Tech will continue to evolve. Its true the military is conservative (understandably) and that anything capable of killing others will get closer scrutiny.

But the times are changing, and we get to the point where drones are preferred for numerous reasons.

In the interim, I can see one day pilots sitting in rooms-and "dog fighting" by using virtual displays to act.

 

As I wrote, politics has always been a factor. Whether its the Ford class aircraft carrier or the F-35, giant programs spending many Billions of dollars are driven as much by politics as military requirements.

Its worse now because the extreme cost of a program exaggerates the political aspect. For example, the F-35 production is spread all over the country (intentionally), involving many states and politicians, which means its cancellation negatively impacts many politicians making cancellation less likely. But in a limited budget, maintaining such an expensive program means many other programs must be sacrificed.

Training funds are not immune to being cut or redirected, either. Immediate operational needs take priority, and when those needs arise and cannot be funded, unspent funds - including training funds - get vacuumed up and redirected. And after being at war for so long, equipment is worn out, and immediate operational needs are frequent and costly.