The Air Force is also currently procuring heavier, longer-range Boeing F-15EX nonstealth fighters, which should fall between the F-16 and F-35 in operating costs at $27,000 per flight hour.īut Brown indicated that he instead wants a new plane with a more easily upgradeable computer system, greater speed and some lower-level stealth characteristics in between that of the F-35 and F-16.

It could instead order the heavily upgraded (and already developed!) nonstealth F-16 Block 70/72 model, which features new computers and a capable new radar. But the Air Force needs to seriously consider whether it has to develop a jet from scratch once again.

This is our ‘high end.’ We want to make sure we don’t use it all for the low-end fight.” put it in announcing a new study looking at options for an F-16 replacement: “You don’t drive your Ferrari to work every day, you only drive it on Sundays. Please submit a letter to the editor.Īs Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Lyle Setter / Icon Sportswire via Getty Imagesīut the Pentagon and members of Congress overseeing the defense budget do at least have one advantage in designing yet another plane: They can learn from their mistakes in the F-35’s development. The F-16 Fighting Falcon performs precision maneuvers at the 55th National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nev., on Sept. Sometimes programs, like the littoral combat ship, take so long that the strategic rationale behind them is no longer relevant by the time they’re ready. The services and manufacturers often promote ambitious programs with overly optimistic cost assessments, only for developmental difficulties to trigger spiraling delays and cost overruns. And that would mean defying history.ĭefense programs fail spectacularly all the time, and there is no sure way to prevent that. Developing and procuring a brand-new nonstealth fighter to save on operating costs only makes sense if it doesn’t end up costing as much as the F-35 did. But, the solution the Air Force is considering could make the problem worse: spend more money on another new jet to replace the F-16.

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