We really need to work out the bugs in the F-35. It's the only game in town for replacing aging fighter aircraft designs.
It is clearly a good plane when up in the air. Pilots like it. Allies are buying it after some hesitation. The Israelis--who demand performance in a dangerous neighborhood--want more. So I'm not panicking over the process of working out the bugs. That's not unusual.
And remember that the Russians had a propaganda campaign to sow doubt about the plane to prevent it from going into production.
Is this new worry in the media part of that effort? Because I think the Russians are
unlikely to have a significant stealth fighter arsenal any time soon.
So stopping our new F-35 is Russia's best course of action.
But the plane is the only game in town. And the Russians admit the F-35 is good despite the spin. But we do need enough in the air to matter. So my pucker factor has gone up a tad. But only a tad.
We should work the problem rather than abandon the plane.
