Pietro Nurra is reporting that the Italian Prime Minister and Defense Minister are stating that the F-35 order will be further reduced.
This comes on the heels of a "non" order of F-35's by the Brits, continued cold feet by the Canadians and everyone else looking on warily.
More info soon.
This comes on the heels of a "non" order of F-35's by the Brits, continued cold feet by the Canadians and everyone else looking on warily.
More info soon.
If the F-35 program is to die, it's going to have to be killed by one or too many of our allies pulling out. There are no spines in the US congress willing to kill this beast.
ReplyDeleteThe pro F35 will just shrug it off with the usual:"South Korea and Japan orders will compensate...Italy wasn't such a big buyer anyway, we knew it all along....."
ReplyDeleteThe interesting part will be if the Italians will keep the FICO line in Italy.
NICO
DeleteThey will because the FACO doubles as a maintenance depot, as the self-maintenance of F-35s by operating countries is banned. The F-35 must be maintained at a regional FACO and Italy would like to keep a portion of that maintenance revenue coming in.
The Italians continue the tradition of never being able to decide on something.
ReplyDeleteOr rather the same old story of Western Europe continuing to disarm themselves.
On Western Europe disarming, i agree.
DeleteOn the first point... i assume you are american. Are you sure you are in a position to speak, when i think of fuck-ups such as America LHAs without well dock, Global Hawk vs U2 thinking and rethinking, the presidential helicopter mess, the 800 wait no 300 wait no 187 F-22, the CSAR helicopter mess, the tanker mess, the Zumwalth 32-to-3 amazing vanishing destroyers and the 55 then 52 then 32 LCS and... should i go ahead? These things happen, especially when government cuts defence funding and the minisry has to find a way ahead. I really do not think you are very good at sticking to your decisions either.
Actually, what the italian premier said is that defence will have to achieve 3 billion euro savings in the next three years, from multiple cuts, reductions, efficiencies, sell off of unused infrastructure and a review of the F-35 program. The committment to the F-35 remains, and while further reductions are possible, reducing the budget over the next three years is not going to be much helped by changing the F-35 program. Over the next three years, Italy is to get all but a tiny handful of aircraft, most of which have actually already been ordered, with contracts signed. Those will not be cancelled. There might be a further stretch to the timeline, with the purchases slowed down. I would be careful there.
ReplyDelete