(03-04-2019, 12:56 PM)MalabarJag Wrote: There are so many ways in which the US government wastes taxpayer dollars that making such a list is a waste of message board space. 

The $46M wasted on making pennies (I agree that it's a waste) is insignificant compared the F-35 program. We've spent hundred of billions of dollars for a fighter jet that still isn't working while the US cancelled production on by far the best fighter jet ever made (the F-22). In perspective that's about 10,000 years worth of the waste in making pennies.

Their roles are different and technologies a decade apart. I am very familiar with both and while the F-22 is quite the air superiority fighter, the F-35 is a true quarterback that can serve multiple roles from air-to-air, air-to-ground, close air support, electronic countermeasure, intel gathering, swarm control, battle space management, and integrated targetting with other air assets and ship assets. With such leading edge technologies, you are going to have issues. With that said, the F-35 has flown combat missions and is exceeding expectation in advanced testing, including defeating multiple F-22 and FA-18 superhornets. When its new software is online it will be even more robust. Here is something some may find interesting...

https://taskandpurpose.com/air-force-f35...g-exercise

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-...-red-flag/

---