Air Force F-35s fly in formation over Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Photo: Air Force
Richard Levine, National Interest: Turning Point: The F-35 May Not Deliver
During WWII, our military initially gave preference to the application of more armor to the areas of returning, combat aircraft that showed damage from flak. The mathematician Abraham Wald upturned this paradigm through his postulation that since the damage in downed aircraft could not be observed and the observed damage in returning aircraft was, perforce, tolerated, the areas that should be up-armored were the unmolested and not the damaged sections of returning planes.
Abraham Wald’s insight also pertains to negative space—what surrounds an object, which defines boundaries and illuminates the whole. Important issues in defense procurement should be considered and resolved through the assessment of current and past programs, including those that have been cancelled. Historical contexts must be examined. From this inquiry, a path forward may be suggested.
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WNU Editor: I am not that pessimistic .... the F-35 will deliver something .... but everyone's expectations of it being the great jet that will deliver everything is not going to happen.
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