(Luft) Lockheed Martin F-35 - Lightning II

[Quintus Fabius]

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....numerous questions remain to be answered before we can be equally confident that the most costly weapons procurement in history is back on course.

What is more, there are larger issues than technical details of the mishap itself. The most disturbing aspect of the grounding is that the F135 engine had completed engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) apparently without key issues being discovered.

since the program began in 2001, the average unit cost has doubled and the date to begin full-rate production has slipped seven years to 2019. Most recently, in addition to the engine fire, problems include late software deliveries and serious questions about how much it will cost to maintain the fighter.