Regardless of the question whether the F-35 was the best choice for Switzerland or if it’s needed at all: it always has been claimed that it’s the cheaper option than the competition.
I think nobody with a clear mind believed this. Yet the ever lying departement of defence and the F-35 supporters repeated it like a mantra: There will be no additional cost. It’s a fixed-price contract. We have maintenance agreements for many years with a fixed price etc. pp.
To nobody’s surprise, the additional cost are already piling up, years before the first plane has even been delivered.
Now a couple of months ago the departement of defence admitted, that the flawed jet engines will have to be retrofitted soon after delivery of the planes. But back then they claimed, that the maker (Lockheed Martin) will cover the costs – because it’s included in the fixed price maintenance contracts.
Again, to nobody’s surprise it turns out that this was all nonsense. Because now the departement of defence had to admit: Oops, we have to pay it from our own pockets. Respectively the Swiss taxpayer is going to pay for it.
So there goes our "There will be no additional cost! Really! Promise! Pinky promise! Have we ever lied to you?!?".
How much this is going to cost they aren’t saying. I wonder why. (No I don’t.)
https://old.reddit.com/r/Switzerland/comments/1dwq8ro/f35_have_to_be_retrofitted_upon_arrival_in/
Posted by b00nish
8 Comments
I know they are most likely lying but from personal experience with the swiss army they might be generally too fucking stupid.
Ah, but you ordered it with the special paint. That invalidates the warranty./s
Because of that we need to change 70% of the components. Oh and the leather key fob, that’s another CHF 1m each….
did you read the articles you link? because they don’t say what you claim they say
Should’ve bought submarines. Or like cool ceremonial swords.
>it always has been claimed that it’s the cheaper option than the competition.
No, it never was claimed. Quit your bullshit.
> Yet the ever lying departement of defence
Do you have any evidence that the department of Defense has lied about this?
Engines have to be replaced from time to time. I assume that these original engines are still going to be used, and will be replaced when they are no longer airworthy.
This stupid fucking jet. The idiots at the MILAK and army planning department love to come up with justifications for why the F35 is the only choice viable to do advanced DEAD and SEAD and AA roles – in case of an all out war with… Nato? Russia?
This is neither happening (as long as we dont fully give up neutrality) nor is it true.Â
And yeah no shit “its the best”. So is a fucking Ferrari, but if i just need to go to the store and drop of my kids at the school a VW is more than enough. The gripen was a completely viable choice, easily upgradeable (including by our own industry, while addons and modifications for the F35 require a lengthy certification by LM), more than good enough for both police and combat roles, easily repairable and the swedes would have given us 100% back investments.
Stupid money wasting bullshit, the mantra of the swiss government.