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F-35 To Go Against Cold War-Era A-10 in Close Air Support Test

© AP Photo / Airman MagazineIt may be seven years late and $160 billion over budget, but the F-35 fighter - the most expensive piece of fighting equipment in history - may finally make its official debut this summer.
It may be seven years late and $160 billion over budget, but the F-35 fighter - the most expensive piece of fighting equipment in history - may finally make its official debut this summer. - Sputnik International
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The fifth-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet and the Cold War-era A-10 attack aircraft will square off in close air support tests planned by the US Defense Department.

The Pentagon's office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOTE) wants to better assess limitations of the existing fifth-generation stealth fighter made by Lockheed Martin Corp, reported Defense Daily.

Curt Cook, an air warfare specialist for the Pentagon, said:

"You figure out really quickly what the new capabilities are that you’re fielding and how well they perform in comparison to your existing capability, but you also understand if there are any gaps that are being left open by the new system," Cook said.

"DOTE wants to evaluate the effectiveness of the plane through proportional measures – a such as what fraction of weapons hit the desired target – and continuous measures, like how long it takes the forward air controller to pass information to ground troops, and how long it takes troops to act after receiving that direction."

The so-called comparative tests will take place in late 2017 or 2018, Cook said.

While the delays, malfunctions and costs of the F-35 fighter jet pile higher and higher, the main contractors for the notoriously over-budget and overdue program threw record amounts of money towards politicians in 2014. - Sputnik International
'Dead Meat' in the Skies: F-35 Will Be Torn to Pieces by Old Fighter Jets

The F-35 is designed to replace the A-10 Warthog, as well as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the F/A-18 Hornet and the AV-8B Harrier jump jet.

Last month, the Marine Corps declared initial operational capability for a less lethal version of the F-35B jump-jet variant. The first F-35Bs are without a new night-vision helmet, certain weapons improvements, or the ability to stream video or fuse data from multiple aircraft.

Still, Marine Lieutenant General Jon Davis defended the aircraft from criticisms that it cannot outperform an F-16 in a dogfight or an A-10 in providing close air support to ground troops.

"I love the F-16, I think it's a great airplane," he said, but added that in a dogfight, he would rather be in a new Joint Strike Fighter than a legacy Fighting Falcon.

At an expected total cost of more than $1.5 trillion over the next 55 years, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program ever. It has been plagued by cost overruns, malfunctions and delays, drawing criticism from lawmakers and defense experts alike.

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