In Geopolitics Today - Wednesday, September 8th
US Aims to Cut Operational Cost of the F-35 in Half and The Taliban Boast of Complete Control in Afghanistan
US Aims to Cut Operational Cost of the F-35 in Half
The United States Air Force is exploring ways it can lower the costs associated with building, flying, and maintaining the advanced F-35 fighter. In a bid to avoid potential runaway costs associated with operating and maintaining what is considered the most technologically capable fighter aircraft in the world, the top general of the Air Force has proposed legislation that would see the number of F-35s the Defense Department can buy limited. The condition for further purchases would be checked by affordability quotas for operating the jet.
A recent defence policy bill approved by the House Armed Services Committee would see the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps expected to meet “cost per tail per year” targets, which measure the average cost of flying, maintaining, and upgrading the F-35 jet. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown said he stands in support of the proposed cost limitations, and went on to say that it is a “focus” for the Air Force to explore sustainable ways to keep the F-35 program fully operational. The Air Force plans to buy a total of 1,763 F-35A models throughout the lifetime of the program.
Continually running the F-35 program over its lifecycle — from flying the aircraft in missions to maintenance and upgrade — cost the US Air Force roughly $8 million per F-35 in 2020. But with this latest proposal, those costs would have to come down to below $5 million per aircraft annually. The wording of the initiative is aimed at inducing cooperation between Lockheed Martin and the Defense Department, applying pressure to make clear the necessity of cutting operating costs if the program is to be upheld throughout its intended lifecycle.
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The Taliban Boast of Complete Control in Afghanistan
The Taliban have announced that they have seized the last province which still remained outside its control. While much of the rest of the country fell swiftly into Taliban hands over the course of the last month, the valley of Panjshir just north of Kabul remained under the control of resistance groups.
The Taliban announcement seemed to confirm reports that anti-Taliban fighters led by Amrullah Saleh have surrendered, which would largely conclude the Taliban’s campaign of wresting back control over all of Afghanistan. Amrullah Saleh is the son of the famous Mujahideen fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud, who famously fought the Soviets during the Soviet-Afghan War with support from the US.
The resistance always faced a formidable challenge: they were caught landlocked in the valley with no airfield. The area north of Panjshir is a mountainous region with few roads, and with the surrounding areas all in the control of the Taliban, it was only a matter of time before the valley fell without US support. According to reports, thousands of Taliban soldiers charged into eight districts of Panjshir province under the cover of night, and secured the surrender of a prominent resistance group.
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