Exec,
JSF unfortunately is unsustainable given decreasing procurement buying power over the coming years.
circles are still round :):)
Once upon a time, technology was limited and every task required a specialised plane.
Developing, building and maintaining all those planes was costing too much and training pilots for all different types was a pain.
Technology got better and Multi role, multi taks became buss words.
Planes got ever more complicated, difficult to maintain and develop
The pinnacle of the “one fits all” paradigm proves now to be a bridge too far and the F-35 is under constant criticism of being too expensive to develop, to difficult to maintain, to complicated for pilots to master every bit of it
and now we start diversifying again. The US are looking at Vietnam style cheap planes (Mohawk, Bronco) to be used in the cas role, modern technologies like laser are asking their share of the budget.
I think that we are at the end of an area and a complete paradigm shift. Airplanes will not rule the battlefield and the skies above it anymore like they used to do, they will have to accept UCAV, drones, smart missiles, lasers, new ground based weapons in their neighbourhood.
The country that exploits this paradigm shift the fastest and most efficient might be the top dog for the nearby future
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