F35 boondoogle

So the Parliamentary Budget Office declares that the Harpocrites have low balled the costs of their F35 fighter purchase, which they sole sourced. They say prove it...that's hard to do when the DOD fails to provide the PBO with any cost estimates, being under the cone of silence imposed by the PMO.

The F35 is a white elephant that has not gotten off the runway yet, you want too know the costs of this ,OK that's easy you just have read the press...The American and International press that is. Something the PBO did while the Harpocrites continue to deny, deny, deny....So what did Lockheed Martin promise the Harpocrites?

After all Lockheed Martin now also does the information collection for Stats Canada as it does for Stats UK.

Ironically the only persons to protest the mandatory census law in Canada and get charged, which the Harpocrites used to justify the canceling of the Long Form census, were Anti-War/ Anti-Lockheed Martin protesters.

Gates Shakes Up Leadership for F-35 - NYTimes.com

McCain Says F-35 Cost Overruns Have Been `Obscene': Video - Bloomberg


The cost overrun on the main engine for the Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jet has grown by $600 million over the past year, despite tough cost-cutting measures by engine maker Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N), a Navy document shows.

The total cost to complete the Pratt F135 engine is now estimated to be $7.28 billion -- $2.5 billion more than the $4.8 billion initially projected for the engine, according to the document, which was first reported by Aviation Week magazine on its website on Wednesday.

That is an increase of $600 million from the $1.9 billion cost overrun that was reported last year by the House Armed Services Committee.

Pratt spokeswoman Erin Dick said she was not familiar with the new number, and emphasized that the company's aggressive cost-cutting measures were taking effect.

Pentagon officials disclosed last week that the F-35 joint strike fighter program so far has exceeded its original cost estimates by more than 50 percent.

These revelations come as no surprise considering the history of this program. The Government Accountability Office concluded that F-35 estimated acquisition costs have increased $46 billion and development extended two-and-a-half years compared to the program baseline approved in 2007.

The price per aircraft projected at $69 million in 2001 is now up to $112 million, according to GAO. The Pentagon plans to acquire 2,443 jets for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Foreign nations also are expected to buy the aircraft.

A congressional auditor said Thursday that the Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, "continues to struggle with increased costs and slowed progress," leading to "substantial risk" that the defense contractor will not be able to build the jet on time or deliver as many aircraft as expected.

Michael Sullivan, the U.S. Government Accountability Office's top analyst on Lockheed Martin's jet fighter, also known as the F-35 Lightning II, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a hearing that the cost of the program has increased substantially and that development is 2 1/2 years behind schedule.

The United States plans to buy about 2,400 of the fighter jets for the Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Navy. The projected cost for the program appears to have increased to $323 billion from $231 billion in 2001, when Bethesda-based Lockheed won the deal, according to Sullivan. Eight other countries -- Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway -- also plan to buy the jets.

The cost to build the plane is now expected to be $112 million per aircraft, according to a GAO auditor.

US Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) Hits Afterburners on Cost Overrun

POSTED BY: Robert Charette / Fri, March 12, 2010

The US Department of Defense officially announced that the Joint Strike Fighter aka F-35 Lightning II will breach a Nunn-McCurdy Amendment critical threshold on 1 April - an appropriate day, I think.

The Nunn-McCurdy Amendment says that a major defense program is considered to have incurred a "critical breach" if it exceeds the current baseline cost estimate by more than 25% or the original baseline cost estimate by 50%.

Defense officials told the US Senate Armed Services Committee in a hearing yesterday that the estimated cost per F-35 aircraft had risen from $50.2 million to somewhere between $80 to $95 million in 2002 constant dollars. The program has also slipped its schedule by at least two and a half years as well for the USAF and Navy versions of the aircraft (it was slipped by 2 years in 2004 as well).

As a result of the breach, the DoD must certify to the US Congress that the program is essential for national security, which it will, of course; and Congress - which is very unhappy with the program's management (the government's program manager was recently fired) - will continue to fund the F-35 because there is little other choice.

The other eight nations participating in the program - Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the U.K. - aren't going to be happy about the cost increases either. I suspect some sweetheart deal will be made to make them less unhappy.

The F-35 program, which has a total life cycle cost of over $1 trillion dollars, was promised to be a "model acquisition program" which would avoid the cost overruns and schedule slips of past aircraft programs like the F-22 Raptor and provide an "affordable next generation strike aircraft."

The JSF website says that, "The focus of the program is affordability -- reducing the development cost, production cost, and cost of ownership of the JSF family of aircraft."

They may want to now amend that sentence.

The Australians are now seriously reconsidering their purchase of the F35

Because the RAAF’s Hornets are aging, Canberra approved the purchase of
Super Hornets as an interim aircraft between the classic Hornet and the
F-35. Aerospace industry and military officials contend that without the
Super Hornet to make the task of integration incremental, the shift
from Hornet to F-35 would likely have become a nightmare of increased cost, complexity and schedule overruns.

And yes Joe and Janey Canuk there is an alternative to this overpriced piece of war machinery...And Japan is looking at buying it....

The F-35, otherwise known as the ball and chain seemingly the entire Western world finds itself chained to, is probably not looking so good to Tokyo right now.

Now, delays suggest the F-35, another stealthy, state-of-the-art option, will not be available until 2020, which could leave a longer-than-acceptable gap for Japan.

Enter the Eurofighter, which is not as advanced as the F-22 or F-35 _ known as fifth-generation fighters_ but is already in service.

The supersonic aircraft, which made its first flight in 1994, is used by six countries: Germany, Italy, Spain, Britain, Austria and Saudi Arabia. Its makers are looking to sell the fighter to Greece, Denmark, Romania, Qatar and India. It is believed to cost about $100 million per aircraft.

A big part of the Eurofighter sales pitch is that it will not tightly restrict the transfer of technology, which means some of it could eventually be built in Japan _ a significant plus for Japanese planners concerned with domestic industry. The U.S. options may not be as generous.

"The Eurofighter group has offered Tokyo lots of sweeteners, including industrial participation," he said. "If the U.S. side can't come up with something equally attractive, then I think it will be difficult for Tokyo to choose a less beneficial deal."

Christopher Hughes, a Japan specialist and political scientist at the University of Warwick, said he believes Tokyo may go for the Eurofighter as a gap-filler, then buy the F-35 once it is ready.

"My feeling is that the Eurofighter might have a chance, but not as the main F-X," he said. "It ticks a lot of boxes and is ready to go, and whilst not cheap, probably nowhere near as costly as the F-35."

Besides budget Hawks like McCain even the Conservative think tank the Hudson Institute is critical of the F35 boondoggle.

Do you know "Cheop's Law"? Named for the Pharaoh who built the great pyramid, and postulated by the author Robert Heinlein, it runs:"Nothing ever gets built on schedule or within budget." Anyone who questions the wisdom of this maxim should examine the Defense budgets of the world's democracies, apart from the average home remodeling project.

The US should be getting better results for the money it spends. The quality of an F-22 air superiority fighter , for example, is not in question, but if the President and Congress decide that we can only afford 187 of them, compared to a certified need for 380, then something is terribly wrong. The same problem of excessive costs leading to a severely curtailed procurement, afflicted the B-2 bomber: only 21 were bought when the air force needed about 120. Today, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is in danger of being canceled or curtailed due to an estimated overall 65% cost increase since 2002.

The problem with the military projects in the US is that it is their form of state capitalism, which Eisenhower called the 'Military Industrial Complex.'

"Big military contractors, like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman or Boeing, have a relationship with the government that is unusual and tight. In some ways, they operate almost as wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Pentagon, which can provide the bulk of their revenues."

F35 boondoogle

Canada makes US$99M payment as part of deal to foot more of bill for developing F-35

LIBERALS PAY FOR HARPER'S F-35 BOONDOGGLE

Ottawa has made a multimillion-dollar payment as part of a renegotiated deal that is expected to see Canada foot more of the bill for developing the F-35 than in previous years.

The US$99-million payment and renegotiated deal come despite the fact the Liberal government has said Canada may not actually buy the stealth fighter.

The government announced in late March that it was entering into negotiations for the purchase of 88 F-35s, but left the door open to buying a Swedish-made fighter if the talks stalled.

Canada is one of eight partner countries involved in developing the F-35, and its latest contribution means it has so far thrown US$712 million into the pot.

Defence officials say the updated deal reflects Canada's desire to buy 88 new fighters rather than its original plan of 65, as well as Turkey's withdrawal from the F-35 program.

However, the renegotiated agreement also comes as U.S. officials raised fresh concerns last week about escalating costs and development problems with the stealth fighter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2022.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

F35 boondoogle

So the Parliamentary Budget Office declares that the Harpocrites have low balled the costs of their F35 fighter purchase, which they sole sourced. They say prove it...that's hard to do when the DOD fails to provide the PBO with any cost estimates, being under the cone of silence imposed by the PMO.

SEE LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for F35 

Leaked video shows F35 fighter crashing on aircraft carrier and going up in flames in South China Sea


Leaked video shows F35 fighter crashing on aircraft carrier and going up in flames in South China Sea

Gustaf Kilander
Mon, February 7, 2022

A leaked video shows an F35 fighter jet crashing onto an aircraft carrier and being engulfed in flames before sliding into the South China Sea.

The F-35C plane is the most recent in the fleet used by the US Navy. It was filmed off a monitor and uploaded to Reddit by a user who said they were not the original owner of the video. The footage was filmed inside the USS Carl Vinson on 24 January, CNN reported.

After crashing into the ship, the plane slides across the runway into the water. Members of the crew can be heard yelling “wave off, wave off” as the $100m plane approaches the ship. The term is used when a pilot is advised to abandon a landing attempt, and instead speed back up to turn around for another try. But in this case, the warning came too late to avoid a crash.

Seven people were injured in the crash. The pilot ejected from the plane, with six people on the aircraft carrier also sustaining injuries.

Former Royal Australian Air Force Officer Peter Layton, currently at the Griffith Asia Institute, told CNN: “That’s really, really scary.” He said the plane appeared to struggle to retain control as it approached the ship.

“As the aircraft is coming down the flaps are working overtime backwards and forwards. It looks like the pilot has lost control and is suffering oscillations,” he said, adding that the plane may have not been using the automatic landing system, which limits the corrections a pilot has to make.

“It’s a really clever piece of software that links up the flight controls [the flaps] and the throttles and also gives the pilot some display so the pilot can monitor the system and fine tweak,” Mr Layton said. “This is a reasonably new system that came out of the F-35 program.”

The F-35C started being used in 2019, and its use on the USS Carl Vinson was its first operational deployment. The US Navy has confirmed that video is authentic, CNN reported.

“We are aware that there has been an unauthorized release of video footage from flight deck cameras onboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) of the F-35C Lightning II crash that occurred Jan 24, in the South China Sea. There is an ongoing investigation into both the crash and the unauthorized release of the shipboard video footage,” Navy public affairs officer Zach Harrell said in an email.

Navy officials said the aircraft carrier resumed normal operations quickly after the crash. According to analysts, the ongoing efforts to get the ship from the seafloor would be difficult and would come under Chinese scrutiny. China considers almost all of the South China Sea to be its territory.

The F-35C has advanced technology that the US would want to avoid handing over to China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that they have “no interests” in the plane.

“We advise [the US] to contribute more to regional peace and stability, rather than flexing force at every turn in [the South China Sea],” spokesperson Zhao Lijian said.

UPDATED

UK

Campaigners blockade BAE Systems site in Glasgow over ‘Israel ties’


Lucinda Cameron, PA Scotland
Thu, 7 December 2023 at 1:34 am GMT

Campaigners are staging a blockade at a defence company’s shipyard in Glasgow in protest over its ties to Israel as they call for a ceasefire.

The blockade at the entrances to the BAE Systems site in Govan in Glasgow has been organised by a local group in co-ordination with Workers for a Free Palestine.

The demonstration is one of four across the UK on Thursday morning, with campaigners saying more than 1,000 workers and trade unionists have blockaded four arms factories in England and Scotland.

Protesters form a blockade outside Eaton Mission Systems in Wimborne near Bournemouth

 (Andrew Matthews/PA)


They are urging BAE and other companies to end their ties with Israel and cease all weapons, defence and supplies trading with them.

They are also calling on the UK Government to back a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and are calling for an end to the occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

More than 600 trade unionists have blocked Eaton Mission Systems in Wimborne near Bournemouth, and hundreds of others have shut down arms factories in Brighton, Lancashire and Glasgow which produce components for the F-35 stealth aircrafts, campaigners said.

The group Workers for a Free Palestine said it is escalating its tactics by targeting four factories at once in different parts of Britain as part of a coordinated international action today.

Jenny, a spokeswoman for the Workers for a Free Palestine group, who did not give her surname said: “The fighter jets these factories help to produce are being used to imprison the people of Gaza in a death trap.

“They are ordered to evacuate when they have nowhere safe to go, while our Government still refuses to back a ceasefire.

“Workers all over Britain are rising up for Palestine, saying we will not allow arms used in a genocide to be supplied in our name and funded by our taxes.

“Our movement is growing rapidly and gaining more momentum each day.

“We are escalating our tactics and today’s blockades are seeing unprecedented numbers of people take part in the disruption of Israeli arms manufacturing in Britain, in concert with workers targeting Israeli arms suppliers around Europe.

“We won’t stop shutting down these factories until they stop supporting Israel’s murderous war machine.”

Protesters form a blockade outside BAE Systems in the Govan area (Jane Barlow/PA)

Activists holding a banner saying “Stop Arming Israel” could be seen at one of the entrances to the Govan factory, while at another demonstrators held Palestinian flags.

They claim that BAE systems produces components of weapons sold to Israel, such as the F35 combat aircraft and the Mk 38 Mod 2 machine gun system.

Scott, a youth worker aged 26, who did not wish to give his surname, said: “We are not here to shame or blame workers at BAE.

“The company’s management decides what to produce and who to sell to – it is them we hold accountable for being part of the chain of killing.”

Jay, a visual artist aged 24, said: “I came here today to show that direct action is for everyone and that together, we can change the way the world turns.”

A BAE Systems spokesperson said: “We’re horrified by the situation in Israel and Gaza and the devastating impact it’s having on civilians in the region and we hope it can be resolved as soon as possible.

“We respect everyone’s right to protest peacefully. We operate under the tightest regulation and comply fully with all applicable defence export controls, which are subject to ongoing assessment.”

Hundreds protest outside defence factories against arms being sent to Israel


Lucinda Cameron and Alan Jones
Thu, 7 December 2023 

Hundreds of campaigners have staged protests outside a number of defence factories in the latest demonstration against arms being sent to Israel.

The campaign group Workers for a Free Palestine said it had blockaded sites in Bournemouth, Glasgow, Brighton and Lancashire, some of which are operated by defence giant BAE Systems.

The company’s shipyard in Glasgow was targeted in the early morning protests on Thursday, which the campaign group said demonstrated it was escalating its action after previous blockades.

The demonstrators are urging BAE and other companies to end their ties with Israel and cease all weapons, defence and supplies trading with them.

They are also calling on the UK Government to back a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and are calling for an end to the occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Protesters form a blockade outside Eaton Mission Systems in Wimborne near Bournemouth (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The biggest protest was at Eaton Mission Systems in Wimborne near Bournemouth where around 600 people took part.

Jenny, a spokeswoman for the Workers for a Free Palestine group, who did not give her surname, said: “The fighter jets these factories help to produce are being used to imprison the people of Gaza in a death trap.

“They are ordered to evacuate when they have nowhere safe to go, while our Government still refuses to back a ceasefire.

“Workers all over Britain are rising up for Palestine, saying we will not allow arms used in a genocide to be supplied in our name and funded by our taxes.

“Our movement is growing rapidly and gaining more momentum each day.

“We are escalating our tactics and today’s blockades are seeing unprecedented numbers of people take part in the disruption of Israeli arms manufacturing in Britain, in concert with workers targeting Israeli arms suppliers around Europe.

“We won’t stop shutting down these factories until they stop supporting Israel’s murderous war machine.”

Activists holding a banner saying “Stop Arming Israel” could be seen at one of the entrances to the Govan factory, while at another demonstrators held Palestinian flags.

They claim that BAE systems produces components of weapons sold to Israel, such as the F35 combat aircraft and the Mk 38 Mod 2 machine gun system.

Scott, a youth worker aged 26, who did not wish to give his surname, said: “We are not here to shame or blame workers at BAE.

“The company’s management decides what to produce and who to sell to – it is them we hold accountable for being part of the chain of killing.”

Activists blocking one of the site entrances in Govan chanted “free, free Palestine” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

Protesters form a blockade outside BAE Systems in the Govan area of Glasgow (Jane Barlow/PA)

One of those demonstrating in Govan, who gave his name only as Oli, said people in Glasgow are saying “enough is enough”.

He told the PA news agency: “We wanted to stop business and to tell BAE we are prepared to do this as long as we can to make you think twice about the decisions you make.

“Glasgow does not need to make war machines. Glasgow and the people of Glasgow are saying we want to make things that are useful for people, not harmful.”

Jay, a visual artist aged 24, said: “I came here today to show that direct action is for everyone and that together, we can change the way the world turns.”

A BAE Systems spokesperson said: “We’re horrified by the situation in Israel and Gaza and the devastating impact it’s having on civilians in the region and we hope it can be resolved as soon as possible.

“We respect everyone’s right to protest peacefully. We operate under the tightest regulation and comply fully with all applicable defence export controls, which are subject to ongoing assessment.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of a protest outside premises in Govan Road and officers are in attendance.”

Similar protests were held in other European countries on Thursday including France and Denmark.

Activists in Glasgow shut down BAE Systems in Govan in call for Palestine ceasefire


Gabriel McKay
Wed, 6 December 2023 

Activists outside the factory this morning (Image: PA)

More than 100 activists have blockaded a factory in Glasgow in protest over its ties to Israel as they call for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza strip.

A blockade is in place at the BAE Systems factory in Govan by a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in co-ordination with the organisation Workers For A Free Palestine.

They are calling on the company to cut all ties to the state of Israel and cease all weapons, defence and supplies trading with the country.


The group are also calling for the UK government to back a permanent ceasefire, and for an end to the occupation of Palestine. Both the West Bank and Gaza are defined by the UK government as occupied territories.

Read More: Defence giant creates 300 new shipbuilding jobs in Glasgow

Simultaneous action is taking place at three other arms factories in the UK, in Bournemouth, Lancashire and Brighton, as well as in France, Denmark and the Netherlands.

BAE produces various components of weapons which are sold to Israel, including the F35 combat aircraft and the MK 38 Mod 2 machine gun system.

In November, HMS Diamond, a ship made at BAE Govan, was deployed to the Persian Gulf in response to 'rising tensions in the Middle East', while armour for the second batch of Type 26 frigates being built at the site for the Royal Navy was provided by the Israeli defence company Plasan.

Scottish Enterprise has given close to £10m to arms firms which supply weapons to Israel between 2016 and 2020, including £1.6m to BAE Systems.

The defence giant announced on Wednesday that it would add 300 more apprentices and graduates to its workforce in Scotland in 2024.

Those involved in the action said they were not looking to target the workers at the Govan plant, but rather the company itself.



The Herald:

Harsha, a carer aged 35, said: “It’s not right that BAE Systems profit from the genocide in Gaza.

"I’m also disgusted that whilst the Scottish Parliament have voted to back a ceasefire and the First Minister has spoken up in support of the Palestinian people, Scottish Enterprise has given funding to BAE.

"This public money, our money, should be invested in caring, not killing.”

Scott, a youth worker aged 26, said: “We are not here to shame or blame workers at BAE.

"The company’s management decides what to produce and who to sell to – it is them we hold accountable for being part of the chain of killing.”

Jay, a visual artist aged 24, said: “I will not stand by while civilians are murdered with weapons from companies like BAE, Thales and Leonardo, which all have significant presence in Scotland.

"I came here today to show that direct action is for everyone and that together, we can change the way the world turns.”

A Police Scotland Spokesperson said: "We are aware of a protest outside premises in Govan Road and officers are in attendance."

 

Americans Are Paying a Massive Price To Maintain the Empire

by Matthew Hoh Posted onJanuary 25, 2024

Two press reports stood out to me this morning: the release of the names of two US Navy SEALs who drowned two weeks ago in the Arabian Sea and the Air Force’s production authorization for the B21 Raider bomber. Both stories symbolize an imperial inertia that defines American national security policies, an inertia that is damaging our democracy and jeopardizing futures.

The SEALs died taking part in a blockade mission against Yemen, a mission that dates back nearly a decade and is part of a two-decade-long history of US military action against Yemen (the US first launched a drone strike in Yemen in 2002). US policy towards Yemen is part of the larger, failed and counterproductive Global War on Terror, which itself is part of a larger, failed and counterproductive US Middle East policy. US Middle East policy, in its current form, goes back to the 1970s and is part of a larger, failed and counterproductive US militarized foreign policy. Can anyone go to the families of those two SEALs killed carrying out those policies and explain what their deaths were for without resorting to grotesque and false tropes of freedom and security, the same aspirational and patriotic fairy tales that have been used to justify 250-plus military operations by the US since 1991?

The other story relates to the authorization of production of the B21 Raider, which is set to replace the B1 and B2 bombers but not the 70-year-old B52s. That the youngest B52 was produced in 1962 and won’t be replaced, but the bombers built in modern times must be replaced, tells you a great deal about the strategy of the American weapons industry. This fleecing of the American taxpayers by the Military Industrial Complex (MIC) is nothing new. Both political parties have hollowed out the American economy to the benefit of weapons makers. If any citizen has the gall to ask their members of Congress why our living standards are so far below those of the world’s other wealthy nations, the answers come back as some variation of “we can’t afford those things.”

What’s new about the B21 is that the cost for years was classified, even to members of Congress. Budget figures, as well as contract details, production schedules and test results, are still being kept hidden. Reports say Northrup Grumman will produce 100 of the planes, and, with an estimated total program cost of more than $200 billion, keeping quiet about the price tag of $2 billion airplanes is a politically savvy move if not a democratic one.

Alongside the story of the B21 was a reference to the nation’s new intercontinental ballistic missile, the LGM-35 Sentinel, exploding in cost and years behind schedule. Both the Raider and the Sentinel are part of the $2 trillion modernization of American nuclear weapons begun during the Obama Administration. Cynically it is understandable why both the Pentagon and the weapons makers want to keep the B21 program hidden. MIC officials often speak of the lessons learned from the gross cost overruns, lengthy delays and failed testing of weapons systems like the F35, the Littoral Combat Ship and the Future Combat System, among many, many others, and those lessons seem to be: don’t let anyone know what’s going on. The roster of weapons that don’t work and have cost us trillions is seemingly infinite and, in a sanely functioning and non-corrupt democracy, Pentagon budgets would be decreasing, generals would be fired and defense industry share prices would be labeled as SELL. It would be far easier to write about the weapons the US taxpayers have funded that have performed as advertised and stayed within budget, but that would probably only amount to a tweet or two.

The only thing more likely than more American families continuing to lose loved ones to failed and counterproductive overseas wars will be a lack of any effective congressional resistance to US Middle East policy, most urgently Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people. Likewise, the only thing more likely than the B21 being another poorly performing MIC cash cow will be the lack of meaningful political opposition to the overall MIC gravy train. The inertia of both a militarized foreign policy that, through its actions, creates a circular reality that justifies continued military action and a military-industrial complex that now says the American people don’t have the right to know how much our weapons cost demonstrate a dangerous reality of American democracy and a terrible path ahead.

Reprinted with permission from Matt’s Thoughts on War and Peace.

Matthew Hoh is the Associate Director of the Eisenhower Media Network. Matt is a former Marine Corps captain, Afghanistan State Department officer, a disabled Iraq War veteran and is a Senior Fellow Emeritus with the Center for International Policy. He writes at Substack.

UK

Why We Blockaded a Factory Shipping Weapons to Israel

On Friday, November 10, over 400 trade unionists and Palestine solidarity activists blockaded a British factory that provides components for military aircraft used in the bombardment of Palestinians in Gaza. They write in Jacobin about what motivated them.

By Workers for a Free Palestine

November 12, 2023

Source: Jacobin

Credit: @Workers4Pal/Twitter

In the wake of the genocidal bombardment of Palestinians in Gaza by the Israeli occupying forces and violence across historic Palestine, Palestinian trade unions issued a call to workers across the globe. They asked for a shutdown of sections of the arms industry involved in sending weapons to Israel. Inspired by previous worker struggles that prevented the shipment of arms to Chile during Augusto Pinochet’s coup and South Africa during apartheid, we have heeded the call from our comrades in Palestine.

Early yesterday morning, Workers for a Free Palestine, a network of trade unionists active in major British trade unions that formed in response to the call from Palestinian trade unionists, blockaded an arms factory run by BAE Systems in Rochester, England. A steady stream of components for military aircraft used by the Israeli occupation force in Gaza leaves the Rochester site, where BAE Systems produces interceptor systems for F35 fighter jets and components for F16 fighter jets.

We blocked all traffic to and from the site.

Workers for a Free Palestine comprises workers active in major British trade unions including Unite, Unison; GMB; the National Education Union; the British Medical Association; the University and College Union; the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union; The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union; and the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, alongside housing organizers and student activists.

We are workers who have come together to stop the flow of arms that fuel the Israeli war machine. Weapons produced in Britain’s factories and supported by British institutions enable the Israel Defense Forces to kill Palestinians every day — we believe that we in Britain have a special duty, as residents of the metropole, to actively resist the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

We also seek to reveal the extent of historical and present British complicity in settler-colonial violence.

Britain is the birthplace of the catastrophic Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Balfour Declaration, both of which paved the way for the dispossession of Palestinians. In the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, Palestine was carved up by the Western empires.

In the 1917 Balfour Declaration, Britain laid the foundations for the mass killings, dispossession, and displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Nakba perpetrated by British-supported Zionist militias. This colonial legacy reverberates today as Britain aids and abets a second Nakba.

In the present, Britain hosts Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems’ factories, which produce Hermes killer drones. Britain ordered these from Elbit to kill Iraqis and Afghans. These weapons, which have killed scores of Lebanese and Palestinians for almost two decades, are marketed as “combat-proven” by Elbit.

In turn, Britain’s massive weapons industry supplies Israel with the full array of killing machines: aircraft, helicopters, and drones, grenades, bombs, and missiles, as well as technology such as target acquisition, weapon control, and countermeasures. Since 2008, Britain has licensed the export of arms worth at least £560 million to Israel.

The British government has “no plans” to stop arms sales to Israel, and has even sent military support to aid Israel’s current campaign of destruction in Palestine.

The British state continues to offer support and guarantees to the arms industry, making its taxpayers complicit in Israel’s crimes. Its aid comes in in the form of state investment in research, which serves to de-risk investment and shore up profits for weapons makers. In 2022, BAE Systems paid for less than 15 percent of its own research and development programs.

British universities are complicit, too, in this military-industrial complex. A report from 2020 found that over one hundred British universities have invested a total of £454 million in companies complicit in Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

Israel drops British bombs on Gaza. We shut down the factories making those bombs, and we organize our workplaces to divest from the Israeli war machine.


Despite the fact that 76 percent of the British public supports a ceasefire, politicians are refusing to act. Rather than listen, our politicians assert their unconditional support for Israel’s deadly war machine.

Workers for a Free Palestine is inspired by our Palestinian brothers and sisters who remain steadfast in their refusal to let Israel complete the colonization of historic Palestine. We honor the over ten thousand Palestinian martyrs who have been killed in the past month, and the over ten thousand Palestinians thrown into Israeli prisons for the simple crime of existing as Palestinians.

The actions of trade unionists and activists across the globe have given us inspiration. Transport workers in Belgium, dockworkers in Barcelona, trade unionists in Melbourne, and protesters in Washington, Missouri, and California have triggered a historic movement to shut down the global infrastructure of the Israeli military complex. Our aim is to grow this movement.

We call on the British government not just to support an immediate ceasefire but to cut all military ties with Israel.

Of course, Britain is not unique in its support for the dispossession of Palestine — far from it. The United States, the European Union, and US allies in the Middle East and beyond all enable these ongoing horrors. Yet we find ourselves in Britain and therefore target British complicity. The British government led by Rishi Sunak, James Cleverly, and Suella Braverman has shown unwavering and enthusiastic support for Israel.

Sadly, this extends beyond the Conservative government into the cowardly “leadership” of Keir Starmer and David Lammy’s Labour Party, which is fully aligned with the policy objectives of the far-right Israeli state.

In London, as elsewhere, marches of hundreds of thousands have become a weekly occurrence. So too have waves of train station sit-ins and blockades of arms factories. Organizations like Palestine Action, which for years have targeted companies like Elbit and Leonardo — another arms manufacturer that ships weapons to Israel — have paved the way for the upsurge in arms factory blockades and protests.

Now, as Workers For a Free Palestine, we broaden the scope of the British wing of the Palestine solidarity movement against the Israeli war machine, bringing mass pickets and blockades to complicit sites across the whole country. It’s time for an end to impunity. As important as the mass demonstrations that have seen half a million on the streets of London are, we need to organize to disrupt weapons factories too.

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of targets for us to shut down. This is a testament to the deep historic and current British complicity in the subjugation of the Palestinians.

Our task must be to organize a mass movement against war, occupation, apartheid, and settler colonialism. This task will require an inordinate amount of legwork, but as residents of the European metropole of empire, we have a duty to resist.

F35 BOONDOGGLE

Former VP claims Turkey opted out of F-35 purchase due to multiple malfunctions

WHY THEY WANT THE F-16

December 29, 2023

Levent Kenez/Stockholm

In a statement made during a parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee meeting on Tuesday, Chairman Fuat Oktay, the former Turkish vice president, claimed that Turkey had decided on its own against the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets.

Oktay said both the Ministry of Defense and the chief of general staff had expressed their disinclination to acquire the F-35s long before. He highlighted the stance of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the government, advocating for the purchase of the F-16 Block 60, 4.5 generation of the aircraft, deeming it a more suitable option.

In 2021 the US administration officially removed Turkey from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program due to Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system in 2017.

According to Oktay, the declining appeal of the F-35 was attributed to a series of accidents and technical deficiencies, leading to a loss of attraction for the aircraft. Oktay clarified that Turkey’s reversion to the F-16 was not due to an inability to procure the F-35s but rather to the lack of significant interest in the F-35.

Oktay further emphasized the positive outcome following the S-400 crisis with the US, indicating that it had impacted Turkey’s strategic decision-making, resulting in a favorable outcome regarding the F-35 aircraft.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had previously announced that Turkey paid $1.25 billion to participate in the F-35 program. Part of the supply chain for F-35 production, Turkey was expected to generate $9 billion in revenue. Additionally, the six F-35 aircraft produced for Turkey were not delivered by the United States. Turkey paid approximately $2.5 billion to Moscow for the first batch of S-400s. Experts estimate that Turkey has incurred a loss of $13 billion so far, considering the inactive status of the S-400 system.

Turkey seeks to redirect funds initially allocated for the F-35 program towards the purchase of new F-16 fighter jets. The US expects Turkey to quickly approve Sweden’s NATO membership to facilitate the F-16 sale, adding further complexity to the negotiations. It is as of yet uncertain whether the US Congress will approve the sale.

Russia sent two S-400 batteries and more than 120 long-range missiles as part of the agreement along with experts to train Turkish soldiers on how to operate them. The second batch has yet to be delivered.
The US has repeatedly warned Turkey that activating the S-400 missiles or buying a second batch would trigger heavier sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). On December 14, 2020, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey’s Presidency of the Defense Industry (Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı, SSB) and certain of its principal officers over the S-400 procurement.

On June 20, 2018 a ceremony took place at the Lockheed Martin facilities in Texas to mark the delivery of the first aircraft as part of the F-35 project, in which Turkey was a program partner. At the ceremony the then-head of the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (later renamed the Presidency of the Defense Industry, SSB), Serdar Demirel, representing the government, said participation in the F-35 project was an honor for Turkey. The aircraft was expected to be brought to Turkey in 2019 following the completion of pilot training

.

Serdar Demirel

Oktay left unanswered the question as to why the option of international arbitration wasn’t considered for the delivery of F-35s produced and paid for by Turkey, as raised by opposition lawmakers in the committee meeting. He said Turkey’s domestically produced KAAN aircraft would be more advanced than the F-35.

Initially unveiled to the public during Erdogan’s re-election campaign in May, KAAN underwent a taxiing test on the runway, marking its introduction. However, the opposition criticized this display, labeling it a political maneuver to solicit support during the election. They contended that showcasing a non-flying aircraft was unnecessary and alleged that the KAAN project was not progressing as quickly as portrayed by the government. Financial challenges were also raised as concerns by the opposition.

Snapshot from the ceremony marking the delivery of the first F-35 to Turkey in 2018.

TAI KAAN, also referred to as the TF (Turkish Fighter) — Milli Muharip Uçak [National Combat Aircraft] in Turkish, or MMU — is an advanced, twin-engine, stealth, all-weather air superiority fighter currently in development by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). British BAE Systems operates as a subcontractor for this ambitious project. Its main objectives include replacing the aging F-16 aircraft in service with the Turkish Air Force and potentially being available for export to other nations.

The initial delivery of the KAAN to the Turkish Air Force is slated for 2028, while the quest for a suitable engine is ongoing. Presently, the prototypes are equipped with American-made F110 engines, planned for the initial production of the first 20-25 units of KAAN.

At present, two companies have shown interest in producing a specialized engine for KAAN. British company Rolls-Royce has collaborated with Turkey’s Kale Group to enter the competition. Simultaneously, Ukrainian company Ivchenko Progress has also submitted a proposal for the aircraft engine.

In a media statement in May, TAI President Temel Kotil outlined plans to deliver 20 units of KAAN Block-10 aircraft to the Turkish Air Force by the year 2028.

Minutes of the committee meting on December 26, 2023.

The first test flight of KAAN was scheduled for December 27, but due to the preparations and several tests not being completed on time, this flight has been postponed to a later date. Experts predict that there will also be delays in the delivery of the aircraft to the Turkish Air Force.

Meanwhile, Oktay has been alleged to have received $50 million in bribes from a criminal organization to prevent the government from seizing its assets in the country. These allegations surfaced from recordings made public by prominent investigative journalist Cevheri Güven, who featured a former insider currently incarcerated for the group leader’s murder. Oktay denies the allegations and accused Güven of being a terrorist. The Turkish government commonly accuses critical journalists of being terrorists and the puppets of foreign countries.

Swiss activists drop campaign against F-35 fighter deal

Activists have withdrawn their campaign to stop Switzerland from buying 36 Lockheed Martin LMT.N F-35A Lightning II fighter jets after the government signed a $5.5 billion procurement deal without waiting for a referendum.

By REUTERS - Yesterday 

Switzerland and fighter jets

Switzerland chose the F-35 last year as its next-generation fighter jet, angering opponents who said they would ensure a referendum to overturn what they called an unnecessary "Ferrari" option.

Related video: Big dogfight: Switzerland avoids F-35 referendum despite 1 lakh ( a hundred thousand:) signatures for public vote | Duration 3:18  View on Watch

Parliament approved the deal last week, and a contract was signed on Monday even as opponents were gathering signatures to force a referendum under the Swiss system of direct democracy.

"The Alliance against the F-35 will not lend a hand for a pseudo-referendum in which the electorate cannot decide on the actual purchase decision," the group said on Tuesday.


Two F35 fighter jets from the Vermont Air National Guard's 134th fighter squadron, which are for the first time part of NATO's security policy, stand parked at Skopje Airport, North Macedonia June 17, 2022.

 (credit: REUTERS/OGNEN TEOFILOVSKI)

"A vote after the contract has been signed is nothing but a democratic farce. For this reason, the Alliance against the F-35 will withdraw its popular initiative, but remains convinced that the F-35 is a bad purchase and a billion-dollar risk for Switzerland."

F35 BILLION DOLLAR BOONDOGGLE

Ottawa declines Boeing's bid to replace Canada's aging fighter jet fleet

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U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin and Swedish firm Saab

 still in contention for contract

The Canadian Press · Posted: Nov 25, 2021 

The McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet has been the Royal Canadian Air Force's primary fighter jet since 1983. (NORAD/Twitter)

Boeing has been told that its bid to replace Canada's aging CF-18s with a new fleet of the American company's Super Hornet fighter jets did not meet the federal government's requirements.

Three sources from industry and government say the message was delivered Wednesday as the other two companies competing for the $19 billion contract — U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin and Swedish firm Saab — were told they met the government's requirements.

The three sources were all granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss these matters publicly.

The Department of National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada, which is managing the competition on behalf of the federal government, did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

Companies had been ordered to show their fighter jet was able to meet the military's requirements for missions at home and abroad, but also that winning the contract would result in substantial economic benefits to Canada.

But while Boeing's failure to meet the requirements would appear to disqualify the Super Hornet from the competition — leaving only Lockheed Martin's F-35 and Saab's Gripen fighter jet in the running — none of the companies have been told whether they are still in or out.

A Boeing spokesperson said the company would reserve comment pending official notification from the government.

News that one of the two U.S. companies competing for the contract failed to meet one or more of the requirements is the latest twist in what has already been a long and often unpredictable road toward replacing Canada's CF-18s.

Many observers had seen the Super Hornet and F-35 as the only real competition because of Canada's close relationship with the United States, which includes using fighter jets together to defend North American aerospace on a daily basis.

Those perceptions were only amplified after two other European companies dropped out of the competition before it even started, complaining that the government's requirements had stacked the deck in favour of their U.S. rivals.

Sweden is not a member of NATO or the joint Canadian-American defence command known as NORAD, which is responsible for protecting the continent from foreign threats. That had prompted questions about the Gripen's compatibility with U.S. aircraft.

Defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute said that while Boeing's failure to meet the government's requirements is surprising, it could also boost the government's assertion that it is running a fair and unbiased competition to replace the CF-18s.

"It indicates it was genuinely a competitive procurement, which Canada had put an awful lot of effort into ensuring was the case," he said.

"There was a lot of speculation about whether a non-American fighter could actually be a real contender, given Canada's requirements for interoperability with the United States. If they're still in the mix, Saab has obviously met that mark."

• Federal government to spend hundreds of millions more to keep CF-18s fighting fit

• Most of the used fighter jets bought by Canada are still not in service, MPs hear

But Jeff Collins, an expert on military procurement at the University of Prince Edward Island, said there remain longstanding concerns in some corners that the entire competition has been set up from the beginning to select the F-35.

Choosing a different fighter, he added, would represent a major break from Canada's closest allies, the majority of which are buying the F-35.

Lockheed Martin F-35 seen as leading contender

Canada first joined the U.S. and other allies as a partner in developing the F-35 in 1997 and has since paid US$613 million to stay at the table. Partners get a discount when purchasing the jets and compete for billions of dollars in contracts associated with building and maintaining them.

Stephen Harper's Conservative government committed to buying 65 F-35s without a competition in 2010, before concerns about the stealth fighter's cost and capabilities forced it back to the drawing board.

The Liberals promised in 2015 not to buy the F-35, but to instead launch an open competition to replace the CF-18s. They later planned to buy 18 Super Hornets without a competition as an "interim" measure to ensure Canada had enough aircraft until permanent replacements could be purchased.

Some at the time questioned that plan, suggesting the Liberals were trying to find a way to lock Canada into the Super Hornet without opening itself up to a legal challenge from Lockheed Martin or any other jet makers.

U.S. Navy crewmembers launch a Super Hornet from the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. (U.S. Navy/Associated Press)

But the government cancelled the plan after Boeing launched a trade dispute with Montreal aerospace firm Bombardier over the latter's C-Series planes. It later introduced a penalty on firms seeking a federal contract which have launched trade disputes with Canada.

Collins questioned whether the so-called "Boeing clause" played any part in the fighter jet competition — though officials have said it was not a factor as the dispute was resolved in Bombardier's favour in 2018.

Meanwhile, the government has been forced to invest hundreds of millions of additional dollars into the CF-18 fleet to keep it flying until a replacement can be delivered. The government has said it plans to name a winner in the coming months, with the first plane set to be delivered in 2025.

The last plane isn't scheduled to arrive until 2032 — at which point the CF-18s will have been around for 50 years.