Originally Posted by KenV
2. The "JSF Partners" formed their partnership way more than a decade before Flynn made those claims. If Flynn's statements were used to sell those partners on the JSF program as claimed, LM would have had to invent a time machine first.
Kenny, I know that this isn't as simple as discovering the meaning of life if there only wasn't for that pesky bus, but let's try.
LM is trumpeting about how the F35 is equal or better than pretty much any 4th gen fighter in about all possible metrics (which by definition includes the F16), for as long as I can remember and it was surely one of the cornerstones around which partnership was formed and MoU signed, because partners-to-be saw an excellent opportunity to upgrade their F16s with a new cool SciFi stuff at very good rates and who can blame them?
That claim which later proved to be false, gave local politics the significant momentum in obtaining a 'go' for project participation/finance with their respective governments.
So, taking all into account, it's rather obvious that JSF we have in 2015 isn't what partners (and not only partners but US services as well) signed up for 15 or so years ago and in some aspects most probably will never be.
There's an obvious problem with that, since once you sign up for something, you expect to get what you signed up for and not what someone else arbitrary decides is good for you, or in layman terms;
"I'd like to buy that chair, please."
"Excellent, sir. Sign here, pls. Expect it delivered tomorrow morning. Thank you."
(tomorrow morning)
"Good day, sir. Where can I unload your couch?"
Are we on the same page now?