2. Cost To Our Country
‘Elephant Walk-ing’ $3 billion worth of F-35 fighter jets
By Steve Dent for Endgadget.com, November 23, 2018 After years of cost overruns and criticism, the US military has started to deploy its stealth-enabled F-35 fighter jet. To communicate that message in no uncertain terms, the Air Force’s 388th and 419th Fighter Wings carried out combat exercises meant to test the capabilities of their F-35As. The drill […]
New details on Vt. Air National Guard’s F-35 timeline
By: Cat Viglienzoni, Oct. 26, 2018 SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) Parts of the Vermont Air Guard base in South Burlington are nearly unrecognizable on the inside and out, buildings gutted and in the process of being revamped. “This is an exciting period for us,” said Col. David Smith, the commander of the 158th Fighter Wing. […]
F-35 Cutting Corners to “Pass”
Officials in the F-35 Joint Program Office are making paper reclassifications of potentially life-threatening design flaws to make them appear less serious, likely in an attempt to prevent the $1.5 trillion program from blowing through another schedule deadline and budget cap. The Center for Defense Information at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) obtained a […]
Eather: The Quietest Place in America is Becoming a Warzone
By: Brian Khan 7/30/18 N 47.51575°, W 123.52133°—Amid the panoply of greenery that makes up the Hoh Rainforest, a gap in the old growth forest arises. Well, more accurately it’s a gap in a tree—a hollow inside a towering sitka spruce that stands like an open door. Beyond it, a short game trail through ankle […]
F-35 – new snafu
July 3, 2018 A Senate committee has slammed the Pentagon’s beleaguered F-35 fighter jet program, for claiming that a $661mn spend on bulk-buying parts would help it save some $1.2 billion. The real amount is half that, it has been revealed. The Senate Appropriations Committee, which has recently greenlighted a boost in spending for the […]
GAO.gov: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Development Is Nearly Complete, but Deficiencies Found in Testing Need to Be Resolved
June 5, 2018 DOD is getting closer to completing the F-35 program, but DOD’s plan to move into full-rate production without fixing key deficiencies brings into question the reliability and affordability of the aircraft. DOD has already requested $9.8 billion for 2019 and will ask for about $10.4 billion more per year over the next […]
Will nukes accompany F-35s to Vermont? No one’s saying
By Jasper Craven June 3, 2018 In an undated internal analysis of press coverage tied to the proposed basing of F-35 fighter jets at Burlington International Airport, Vermont Air National Guard leaders detailed five potential media questions “We Hope We Don’t Get.” The first four dreaded questions were often asked throughout the years-long debate over […]
Report finds toxic chemicals at Burlington air base exceed state limits
May 24, 2018 The Air Force has released a report detailing chemical contaminants at the Burlington International Airport above Vermont regulatory limits. These chemicals were found at multiple locations on the Vermont National Guard installation, but not in the base’s drinking water, or the water supply of nearby communities. Now, the Air Force is […]
DoD: At least 126 bases report water contaminants linked to cancer, birth defects
By Tara Copp April 26, 2018 The water at or around at least 126 military installations contains potentially harmful levels of perfluorinated compounds, which have been linked to cancers and developmental delays for fetuses and infants, the Pentagon has found. In a March report provided to the House Armed Services Committee, the Pentagon for the […]