'Boondoggle' isn't a word you're likely to hear on this side of the Atlantic, but in the case of the F-35 I can't think of a better one.
I looked at the
BAe Systems site to find that the company has a '13-15% workshare of each aircraft'. I wonder how they measure that?
It seems to boil down to manufacture of the rear fuselage and tail assembly, and crew escape systems.
The ever reliable
Wikipedia says:
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While the United States is the primary customer and financial backer, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Norway and Denmark have agreed to contribute US$4.375 billion toward the development costs of the program.
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and...
Quote:
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Norway has estimated that each of their planned 52 F-35 fighter jets will cost their country $769 million over their operational lifetime
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The RAF and RN have 138 of the aircraft on order but very little is ever said about delays and the massive expenditure involved.
Well, HMG wouldn't want to upset the long suffering British taxpayer, would it?
However much money we fling at the F-35, the US taxpayer will probably have to stump up four or five times our contribution.
Not an enviable position to be in.