Originally Posted by
ORAC
Except it wasn’t, was it? It was being procured to replace them - and the funds to continue buying them, in increasing numbers, comes from the same budget; the funds to upgrade thise already purchased comes from the same budget, the personnel to maintain and fly them from the same pool - and the space they occupy on a carrier the same space.
2 into 1 won’t go.
You may find that the F-35c was to replace the legacy Hornet in the fleet. Even the legacy Hornet had a life extension and upgrade program, why wouldn't the Super Hornet? You may find you get sore fingers, if you wring your hands too much.