Well that explains the recent rash of F-35 propaganda...

via Reuters...

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh on Tuesday warned that short-term moves to revise downward the Air Force's planned purchase of 1,763 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 stealth fighters could damage the program and scare off foreign buyers.
"Let’s delay this discussion for a little while until we see what happens in the world," Welsh told reporters at the annual Air Force Association conference, citing efforts by Russia and China to field more advanced fighter aircraft of their own.
"All we do right now is risk damaging a program that's now gaining some momentum and is about to become operational," he said.

Well ain't that a kick in the pants.

A Pentagon spokesman went to great lengths to say that Dunford was lying/mistake/senile/didn't know what the fuck he was talking about when he stated that they were taking a hard look at overall F-35 numbers.

Now Welsh let the cat out of the bag and admits that they are.

Yeah baby!  Death Spiral!  Bring it on!  1,763?  It ain't happening!  I wondered why there was so much desperation at this Association meeting and now we know.