Action stations cheerleaders

It can’t be called “AOL Defense” because there has not been much credible defense reporting.

I shall name it; “AOL”.

Anyway, AOL is hyping the coming of the Singapore F-35 FMS order. Yet at this time there is no evidence of credible and working mission systems. Marketing spin is not a mission system.

This is a fun quote from the AOL piece:

"If you want to understand the calculus driving these choices, first look at China, which to countries such as Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Australia is the primary long-term threat."

Poor calculus.

And this:

One senior official from the region, who has access to the most sensitive classified information about the system, told me recently that the F-35 is "simply undefeatable."

The author links this fantasy from the Second Line of Defense F-35 fan club.

The two reference threats in the West to simulate emerging PacRim threats are the F-22 (playing the PAK-FA) and the Typhoon (playing the SU-3X). It is doubtful that the F-35 can defeat an F-22 or Typhoon.

Then there is the ground-to-air threat.

And about that FMS buy for Singapore: the aircraft has to show up delivered in working form. And, there are real off-sets. Something the original Joint Strike Fighter Partner Nations should feel cheated about because they signed up for the "best value" Ponzi scheme.

AOL leaves us with this huge confidence builder:

Add the regular port visits to Singapore by the Littoral Combat Ship fleet to the F-35 decision and you've got a pretty powerful national security statement by the tiny state.

Can you say AirSea Battle?

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-Summary of Air Power Australia F-35 points
-Aviation Week (ARES blog) F-35 posts (2007 to present)
-U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) F-35 reports
-F-35 JSF: Cold War Anachronism Without a Mission
-History of F-35 Production Cuts
-Looking at the three Japan contenders (maneuverability)
-How the Canadian DND misleads the public about the F-35
-Value of STOVL F-35B over-hyped
-Cuckoo in the nest--U.S. DOD DOT&E F-35 report is out
-6 Feb 2012 Letter from SASC to DOD boss Panetta questioning the decision to lift probation on the F-35B STOVL.
-USAFs F-35 procurement plan is not believable
-December 2011 Australia/Canada Brief
-F-35 Key Performance Perimeters (KPP) and Feb 2012 CRS report
-F-35 DOD Select Acquisition Report (SAR) FY2012
-Release of F-35 2012 test report card shows continued waste on a dud program
-Australian Defence answers serious F-35 project concerns with "so what?"
-Land of the Lost (production cut history update March 2013)