LM Official--RAAF F-35s on schedule

Good news is great. I love good news.

Don't you?

According to the Canberra Times, Lockheed Martin official Tom Burbage states that Australia should get its F-35s on time.

Apparently, there were a few things missing from the press event: no real challenging questions from the press.

Here is what was not asked at the press event. I offer these questions which could have been asked.

1. Mr. Burbage, in 2003, low-rate initial production (LRIP) batch number 5 was on the order of 120 aircraft. In 2009 LRIP 5 was briefed as 61 aircraft. Today, LRIP 5 is 30 aircraft. Without large numbers of F-35s, there is no low price. Without a stable design, there is no production learning curve. With the premise of the F-35 business plan now dead, how can you stand there and tell the Australian public that the F-35 is affordable?

2. Mr. Burbage, the top United States Department of Defense (DOD) F-35 program manager Admiral Venlet (an experienced test pilot) has stated that the build and test plan—which for years was the overly-optimistic basis of the aircraft’s alleged affordability-- was a 'miscalculation.' He also states that production should be slowed down. Australia has to replace its aging Hornet fleet by 2018-2020. If there is no way to make that schedule, does this not disqualify the F-35 as a Hornet replacement?

3. Mr. Burbage, the great assumption in F-35 development and test was that modelling and simulation would help with the ability to speed up production at a rapid rate. The current troubled history of the program indicates that this assumption was greatly flawed. Shouldn’t Australians wait until there is a complete go-to-war and properly tested F-35 before evaluating it as having potential value for our defence needs?

There is this really cool thing in journalism. Answers to questions like the above can generate follow-up questions. Which then ends up pulling out the rug from under people like Mr. Burbage.

Who are people like Mr. Burbage? Those that have trouble telling the truth.

The Australian public is being misled about the F-35. Trouble is, no one in the mainstream press seems willing or able to carry the ball.