The C++ standard for the F-35 Fighter Jet [video]

Isn't the F35 program considered a failure? Or am I confusing it with some other program?

The F-35 was in development hell for a while for sure, but it’s far from a failure. See the recent deals where it’s been used as a political bargaining chip; it still ended up being a very desirable and capable platform from my understanding.

> See the recent deals where it’s been used as a political bargaining chip; it still ended up being a very desirable and capable platform from my understanding.

From a european perspective, I can tell you that the mood has shifted 180 degrees from "buy American fighters to solidify our ties with the US" to "can't rely on the US for anything which we'll need when the war comes".

that has nothing to do with the F-35.

Europe is wise and capable enough to develop their own platform.

While there are several comparable European alternatives, many countries put their bets on the F-35 a long time ago. It is very much a part of this discussion.

I’m from one of those countries, and I can assure you a lot of people would now have preferred that we went with an EU competitor instead.

What comparable alternative is available today? None of the European companies has a production 5th generation aircraft nor the integrated sensing capabilities. This is what is driving the incredible demand despite misgivings. You can't survive in a near peer combat environment without it.

Countries are buying it because it is the only game in town for certain high-value capabilities, not because they necessarily like the implications of there being a single seller of those capabilities. For better or worse, the US has been flying these for 30 years and has 6th generation aircraft in production. Everyone else is still figuring out their first 5th generation offering.

Closing that gap is a tall order. Either way, European countries need these modern capabilities to have a capable deterrent.