To be honest you can argue for both sides - it's like watching Henman play tennis.... quite boring! The thread's been done [almost] to death now and there are those firmly 'For' and those firmly 'Against' spouting the same hyperbole every time. The reality is that HMG has looked at the balance sheet and carefully considered their equipment programme; for now at least, JCA is still in it for the forseeable but lets see what factors are present for the next SDSR. MoD has reviewed the costs, looked at the predicted cost-curve and through-life sustainment figures with some scrutiny and balanced the whole lot against extant (yes, extant!)capability requirements for a 5th Gen air system.
Sure, the UK economy needs to tighten its belt but I for one believe we made the right move to go F-35C for all sorts of reasons; I couldn't agree more with SSSETOWTF on the supporting rationale for LO and high-end sensor dominance either - some of the single, most effective battlefield enablers of the last 10 years have been sensor-derived data and networked SA. F-35C brims with both.
Such threats (double digit SAMs, for instance) will never be ubiquitous or cover the entire airspace.
Duff statement chap; such threats only have to be where you don't want them vice everywhere so, while you have the good fortune to sit in your
armchair, enthusiastically peering at the World's first 100% accurate crystal ball you might consider that the rest of us military folk don't - hence we prepare for what our 'Int' tells us, not the likes of you. My point is that today's 'Aston Martin' threat system becomes cheaper, more prolific and still as effective as the years go by.
They may evolve to the level where even an F-35 will not get it, drop a JDAM and get out again.
Yup, and the plan is that F-35 will evolve to keep pace, or even out-pace those threats. JDAM is 'so' last year too. F-35 plans to offer the same growth capacity that F-16 has given since its inception. You can only polish a turd so far and unfortunately for the next 25 years F-16 and F-18 will reach their respective zeniths' of reflectivity (read Nadir of usefulness) well before that time is up. F-18 roadmaps that spout anything different are just keeping Boeing's shareprice up just so you can replace that well-worn armchair of yours; it keeps Elmo stocked for Jack too. I do remember Boeing believing in the concept of 5th gen manned fighters too...and a competition....oops!
So to answer the thread title....'because we are..... and it doesn't concern you...so there!'