Even major global powers won’t use hsr, China is failing



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F-35s Frontline

F-35 causes arms race with Russia and China- turns Arctic conflict scenario


O’neil 10 (Juilet, journalist for Vancouver Times. “F-35 buy could trigger Arctic arms race: Expert” 2010 AB)

OTTAWA — A government purchase of F-35 fighter jets could cause "angst in Russia" and trigger an Arctic arms race, Arctic sovereignty expert Michael Byers said Thursday.¶ "I don't want my country to be the country that starts an Arctic arms race," Byers said as debate over the government's plan to spend $16 billion on 65 of the F-35s raged on several fronts on Parliament Hill.¶ Byers is chair in global politics and international law at the University of British Columbia. He said there is no need for stealth "shock and awe" military aircraft in the North and senior U.S. military officials have contradicted Canadian government claims of threats from aging Russian bombers near Canadian airspace.What is needed up North, he emphasized, is search-and-rescue planes.¶ Air force chief Lt.-Gen. Andre Deschamps told the House of Commons defence committee that Russia is already building a "fifth-generation" fighter — which is what the F-35 is — and that China is expected to build one too.¶ If the planned purchase is cancelled, he told MPs, Canada's air force would become "irrelevant" for defence missions with the United States and other countries in the NATO military alliance, many of whom are also buying the Lockheed-Martin aircraft.¶ Deschamps was responding to Conservative MPs' attempts to undermine Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's announcement Wednesday that he would cancel the project and hold a competition for a jet to replace Canada's aging CF-18 fleet.¶ Opposition MPs repeatedly sought assurances from Deschamps and Col. Dave Burt, acting project manager for the F-35, that there are strong controls in place to prevent a repeat of the cost overruns, significant delivery delays and lack of oversight found by the auditor general in the government's $11-billion purchase of Chinook and Cyclone helicopters and associated operating and maintenance contracts.


With DoD budget cuts, F-35 will not happen


Clark 11 (Colin, writer for DoD, “Good Government Groups Detail $429B in DoD Cuts; Kill F-35, MEADS” http://defense.aol.com/2011/09/15/good-government-groups-detail-429b-in-dod-cuts-kill-f-35-mead/ AB)
Washington: Two of Washington's better known taxpayer groups today offered a salad of Pentagon cuts, including recommendations to kill the entire F-35 program.¶  Recommended for you.X

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The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) -- who occupy very different parts of the political spectrum -- issued the recommendations to the congressional Super Committee to cut what they called "outdated or ineffective military programs." "While the need for a strong national defense is clear, it is equally clear that the Department of Defense (DoD) has a number of programs that do not advance those goals and instead waste vital resources," the two groups said in their report. "Due to the delicate nature of decisions relating to national security, we have relied on authoritative recommendations from officials and independent experts from across the political spectrum to guide this report." Following these 12 recommendations to carefully reform or eliminate weapons programs and make other procedural improvements could save taxpayers as much as $428.8 billion over the next decade. But some of their recommendations simply fly in the face of reason and experience. There is no way the Pentagon or Congress will cut the entire F-35 program to save $78 billion. It is the only new fighter program in the United States. We have very close allies who have committed large amounts of their national treasure to the program. And the F-16s and F/A-18 E/Fs just cannot do what the F-35 will. Having said that, the F-35B looks much more vulnerable than it should, because it is the most expensive and complex version of the plane. Flying those older aircraft would quickly grow prohibitively expensive in both lives and maintenance. Their other major recommendation, to "implement acquisition reforms identified by the bipartisan defense acquisition panel" to save $135 billion over the next 10 years flies in the face of almost all experience with acquisition reform over the last decade. Both the Pentagon and Congress have created dozens of laws, rules and regulations to improve acquisition over the last decade. Few have had any measurable impact on improved weapons acquisition. If they had, would we all have suffered through the JSF, SBIRS, Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, Future Combat System and on and on?


F-35 kills the economy; kills jobs and increases deficit


Rosen 12 (James, Senior Editor for Idaho Statesman, “F-35: a lesson in why it’s hard to kill a federal program” http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/02/02/1977606/f-35-a-lesson-in-why-its-hard.html Feb 2012 AB)
Conceived in the heady post-Cold War 1990s, the futuristic fifth-generation jet fighter was to be a technological marvel built in a rush and paid for with “peace dividend” dollars.¶ Now, the economy is struggling out of recession and the fighter is billions over budget and years behind schedule.¶ Part of the problem: Axing the F-35 would eliminate tens of thousands of jobs in 47 states. Few members of Congress are willing to go along.Another part: The jet fighter is needed to replace aging U.S. planes, but — as the most costly weapons system ever, at $385 billion and rising — it might be more expensive than the nation can afford.¶ Despite criticism from defense secretaries, government investigators and powerful senators, the Pentagon still wants the Joint Strike Fighter. But the Defense Department might want more plane than it needs.¶ “A lot of times, the Pentagon just wants to sexy these things up and make them do wow stuff when wow is not required,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.¶ With the Pentagon facing $1 trillion in possible cuts, the F-35’s high price tag makes it a prime target. But thanks in part to campaign contributions from its main contractors and their jobs spread across the country, the fighter plane has its own congressional caucus of 48 lawmakers dedicated to saving it at all costs. None of the caucus members hail from Idaho.¶ When Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced Jan. 20 that he wouldn’t kill the F-35 outright, there were sighs of relief across the country from subcontractors and parts suppliers.



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