Billions in Upgrade Cost Overruns Put F-35 Fighter at Risk

by Reposted by Military Truth | Mar 24, 2021 | Defense Spending

TYPICAL! In designing new systems such as this, corrections for “unks”, or “known unknowns,” is supposedly priced into the contract. However, an escape clause is generally included for addressing “unk-unks”, or “unknown unknowns”… and THIS is where military R&D contractors REALLY make their money at the tax-payers expense, because even the unks can lead to unk-unks and more “developments.” Couple that with a contractor spreading subcontracts in as many congressional districts as possible to preclude contract cancellation, which I personally witnessed on the F-35 program, “desirable” design changes plus quite weak government control from internal advancement dependant politics and military development programs are sure-fire money makers!!! Also note my comment on the last paragraph ~Don Chapin, Capt, USAF, Ret’d… an ex-R&D government aerospace engineer