By Franz-Stefan Gady
The Pentagon argues that a recently leaked report does not ‘tell the entire story.’
Yesterday, in an attempt to defend the $400 billion F-35 Lighting II procurement program, the Department of Defense responded to the recent revelations that an F-35A was defeated by a two-seat F-16D in simulated aerial combat (see: “F-35 Loses Dogfight to Fighter Jets From the 1980s”).
As I reported previously, a leaked report by a test pilot noted that the “F-35 was at a distinct energy disadvantage” vis-à-vis the F-16 and—among a host of other issues—could not zero in on its aerial opponent with the plane’s 25mm cannon.
However, the Pentagon’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Program office was quick to jump to the defense of the United States’ most expensive weapons procurement program noting that “[t]he media report on the F-35 and F-16 flight does not tell the entire story.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat