There are different ways to quote unit costs but by most measures I have seen the F35 costs more, roughly 200 - 230 million vs about 150 million
Agreed. Per jet production is supposed to be cheaper than the F-22 was. The development was the killer. Development nightmare.
My FIL works for Huntington Ingalls (formerly Northrop Grumman) building ships for the Navy. He just finished working on the USS Gerald R. Ford (
Gerald R. Ford is intended to be the first of a class of aircraft carriers that offer significant performance improvements over the previous Nimitz class. Gerald R. Ford is equipped with an AN/SPY-3 and AN/SPY-4 active electronically scanned array multi-function radar,[SUP]
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and an island that is shorter in length and 20 feet (6.1 m) taller than that of the Nimitz class; it is set 140 feet (43 m) further aft and 3 feet (0.91 m) closer to the edge of the ship. Replacing traditional steam catapults, the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) will launch all carrier aircraft. This innovation eliminates the traditional requirement to generate and store steam, freeing up considerable area below-deck. With the EMALS, Gerald R. Ford can accomplish 25% more aircraft launches per day than the Nimitz class and requires 25% fewer crew members. The Navy estimates it will save $4 billion in operating costs over a 50-year lifespan.[SUP]
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According to an Associated Press story:
“ | ‘She is truly a technological marvel,' Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said in a webcast ceremony at the Newport News, Va., shipyard where Gerald R. Ford is being built, 'She will carry unmanned aircraft, joint strike fighters, and she will deploy lasers.’[SUP][54][/SUP] | ” |
These performance enhancements were problematic in Pentagon tests, but final software fixes for some of the problems were delayed until after the ship’s post-shakedown availability in 2019.)
That last little bit is what he talked about most. During the lengthy development process new technology was being created all the time, and the Navy kept wanting to stick brand new pieces on the ship that weren't originally designed to go on it. The magnetic launching is one of those things. The electronics on the ship were a complete mess. So they'd just get a grip on what they were supposed to do and then the Navy would be like, "Check out this rad new radar, or weapons, system - stick this on there!" And Huntinngton-Ingalls would be like, "Uh, ok, but there really isn't anywhere to pu-"
"I SAID PUT IT ON THERE!"
"ALRIGHT! GOD! CHILL! Let's just redesign the whole aft of the ship to make space for this laser rifle they want to have..."
This is basically what happened with the F-35 as well. It's an amazing piece of tech. I think time will tell how useful it is overall. It did not have an auspicious start. The good thing about most weaponry is that it gets such practical testing that the changes and refinements made over time are very useful.