The Center for Defense Information (CDI) was founded in 1971 by a group of retired military officers to analyze military matters, inform decision-makers and the public, and influence policy. CDI had three primary goals:
1) avert a nuclear war with the Soviet Union;
2) end the Vietnam War; and,
3) monitor the military-industrial complex.
CDI evolved over the years and in 2012 merged with the Project on Government Oversight (POGO). Although the original retired admirals and generals no longer lead CDI, they have been replaced with other top retired military brass. I started donating money to POGO prior to the merger and receive their quarterly reports. These reports have repeatedly criticized the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project, which is the most expensive weapon program in American history. As of April 2015, the cost had more than doubled (now at $400 billion), is years behind schedule, and Lockheed-Martin, the primary contractor, may never overcome the technical challenges.
In its 2015 annual report, the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (http://www.pogo.org/straus/issues/weapons/2015/leaked-f-35-report-confirms-deficiencies.html) identified mismanagement, delayed tests, safety issues, and serious software glitches. The General Accounting Office, which is an independent Federal agency, conducts evaluations and investigations in response to requests from members of Congress. The GAO has also heavily criticized the F-35 (15-364). In January 2015,the F-35 participated in a series of 17 dogfights against a 30 year old F-16 at Edwards Flight Test Center in California. F-35 pilot reports got leaked to @warisboring. The pilots complained of “sluggish” maneuverability and the $600,000 helmet system did not adequately project visual images to the panels. The complex helmet system is now in its third generation.
On December 12, President-elect Donald Trump said he wanted to “stop looking to topple regimes and overthrow governments” because after wasting “$6 trillion” in Muddle East fights, he asserted his “goal is stability not chaos.” He specifically noted that the F-35 costs are “out of control” and threatened to defund the F-35. According to the Wall Street Journal, adding operational costs for the F-35 “bring the bill to above $1 trillion.” POGO’s last mailing to me reported the Pentagon itself criticized the F-35 because it is “not effective and not suitable across the required mission areas and against currently fielded threats.”
It is not unpatriotic to question defense spending, it is simply the right thing to do. Mr. Trump, all I want for Christmas is less military intervention, less wasteful spending on defense, more stability, and Peace on Earth.
Postscript: Former CDI co-founder and past president, Admiral Gene La Rocque USN (ret.) passed away on October 31, 2016, at the age of 98. CDI’s work was not always popular, and Admiral La Rocque’s criticism earned him a spot on President Nixon’s enemies list. In a speech last year, Admiral La Roque said, “The military-industrial complex is not designed to create jobs. It is simply to defend the United States.”
