Are we charging too little for F35 jet fighters? How about a tariff on THOSE things to help with the federal budget?

Photo above - cancel red alert! A scale model F35 jet fighter prepares to take off from an undisclosed back yard location. Saudi Arabia just bought dozens of the real thing.

Welcome to the club, Saudi Arabia! You will soon have a squadron of the worlds most advanced, 5th generation fighters. As soon as they roll off the assembly line. Demand is “off the charts”, as companies like Nvidia would say.

The Saudi’s plan to buy 48 of our front line F35 jets. Prince MBQ was no doubt gob smacked earlier this year when Israel used it’s own American supplied F35’s to attack Iran with impunity. Evidently F35's are quite hard to detect or shoot down. Iran pretended it shot down 2 of them, but satellite photos shows Israel has all present and accounted for. When the Saudi's have their own F35s they won't need to lure dissidents to embassies to be assassinated. Just call in an air strike.

Each F35 lists for $100 million. That’s the base model, without full self-driving or 8 quadrillion watt fast DC charging. Prices for deluxe platinum edition F35s can reach $130 million. It’s not clear which trim level Saudi Arabia is buying, or at what price. The 75 Israeli F35s have a LOT of 3rd party aftermarket accessories which aren’t supplied the original manufacturer. Stuff like long range fuel tanks, external weapons pods, and million-dollar helmets with Nvidia AI chips so awesome that you'll never need to look at the cockpit gauges.

We’re clearly not charging enough for these things. In addition to sworn enemies like Israel and Saudi Arabia who are now vying for total air superiority, F35s have already been delivered to, or are pending for:

Australia

Belgium

Canada

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

Great Britain

Italy

Japan

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Romania

Singapore

South Korea

Switzerland

If I’ve left any countries off this list, my apologies.

As you can see at a glance, NATO has all but encircled Mad Vlad Putin with F35 fighters. Even though these jets seldom come out to play, Vlad is certain to find this an awkward situation. No wonder he doesn’t want Ukraine or ANY other nations joining NATO. If all the F35 owner/operators launched their squadrons at once, World War 3 would be over in about 15 minutes. No matter how many internet cables Russia cuts with some rusty scow dragging its anchor with all their lights turned off.

Back to the economics. Stop cutting one-off, special deals with nations depending on whether they are ruled by Sheiks, Kings, Presidents, Generals, Prime Ministers, or Crown Princes. Let’s set a standard prix fee menu, both for the entrée and the hors d'oeuvres. Cost plus. Use the F35 surcharge/tariff to pay our own soldiers on time, if there’s ever a shutdown again.

If we’re the most powerful nation on earth, then we should darn well act like it.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

World Map Shows Where US Has Sold F-35 Fighter Jets - Newsweek

From $1 trillion spending to F-35s, U.S.-Saudi pledges aren't done deals yet

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sylvsn59 · 61-69, M

Most are reliable US allies so not too worried about them. The Saudi deal is troubling because as soon as Iran is no longer an enemy we will have to deal with what Saudis do with them...flex in the middle east? attack israel?
Since the government doesnt actually get the money from the sales not sure how we would tarriff our own companies. Presumably this increase profits, jobs, economically thus additional taxes.

swirlie · 31-35

@sylvsn59
It doesn't matter what the Saudis do with them... Lockheed in the USA can remotely alter the F35's software so that the engines won't start.... and that is precisely why Canada will not be buying them.

sylvsn59 · 61-69, M

@swirlie good info and smart. why would canada buy any, they have us.

swirlie · 31-35

@sylvsn59
Not anymore! Canada recently divorced itself from any involvement with the USA for Trade and Commerce, which means Canada no longer financially supports the US military like Canada has been doing for the past 80 years.

exchrist · 36-40

Personally selling weapons and technology with such breakthrough technology to the entire world even to allies but not only to allies is asking for trouble. That’s a lot of resources extracted from the American economy and homeland then sold for destructive purposes. Certainly the 100million dollar construction cost would be better used for anything else. Infrastructure especially.
To what extent are these cutting edge planes being used for blockbuster and media franchises?

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@exchrist probably all true.

Russia is apparently defeating Ukraine with a blitz of $10,000 drones made in Iranian basements. F35's are not a factor. Nor are tanks at this stage.

Subsumedpat · 36-40, M

China allied with the Saudi’s is most appreciative of this move, learning our secret tech will be helpful to their own efforts of achieving air dominance.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@Subsumedpat thanks for saying the quiet part out loud.

many of the nations we've sold F35's to will be sharing that tech with Russia and China. Generals in 3rd world or totalitarian states have deep ties to our adversaries.

MistyCee

Maybe the next President will actually put the nation's interest ahead of his own.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@MistyCee i've prayed fervently for this for decades

swirlie · 31-35

The F35 is actually very old stealth technology and the airplane was technically declared obsolete before it even came off the drawing board. In addition to that, the F35 is not a fighter jet. It is a fighter-bomber, which means it's only function is to bomb targets, but is incapable of air-to-air combat. What this means is, if a country is being attacked, the F35 is technically useless as a defense tool. Among other more compelling reasons, this is but one reason that Canada will not be purchasing F35s, but instead will be choosing the Swedish jet instead which is superior to the American-built F35.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@swirlie if there's a link showing it's obsolete, i haven't seen it.

when nations are given a choice between the (less expensive) F22, and the F35, they all seem to be voting the same way.

swirlie · 31-35

@SusanInFlorida
I think a better person to ask than me for a technical 'link' regarding the F35 and the F22 would be @PicturesOfABetterTomorrow , who can probably quote a link or at least a history reference for the shortcomings of the F35.

jackjjackson · M

That way well be. Ore profits for Boring, more taxes more tariffs. Trifecta of wins.

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