[GGG]

Originally Posted by photon

Donald J. Trump
‏@realDonaldTrump
Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!
3:26 PM - 22 Dec 2016

That's almost like asking GM to price out a comparable Chevy Corvette... The Super Hornet isn't comparable to the F-35.

I mean no doubt the F-35 is a huge cost, but the time of deciding to do something different passed like 20 years ago. The F-35 is what it is and costs what it does because of the crazy requirements, it's supposed to replace the F-16 (nimble and light dogfighter) and the A-10 (flying tank that can take a pounding and still kill ground targets) and the AV-8B (look I can take off straight up!). Jack of all trades, master of none.

It's not a matter of the Super Hornet being almost as good as the F-35 or not, it's completely incapable of doing what the F-35 can do regardless of what you do to it.

To get a VTOL Super Hornet you'd need basically what the F-35 has, space for a lift fan, so you'd have to redesign it completely to fit that. To get the stealth capability you can't just paint it black, you have to redesign it completely.

So basically Trump wants a whole new fighter? And that's supposed to save money??

To be fair that makes him as smart as our Prime Minishter on this issue