Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

3 18, in Maryland patuxent River Naval Air Base, an F-35B stealth fighter aircraft vertical takeoff

Editor’s Note: Recently, U.S. media reported that a message, the United States is currently being developed by the latest of four generations of fighter F35 is facing a huge crisis. Crisis core is the purchase price soaring F35, F35′s plan from the initial purchase price has been $ 50 million up to more than 90 million U.S. dollars. According to the U.S. concerned the forecast, F35 final purchase price will be more than $ 100 million, is likely to reach 100 million 12 million U.S. dollars. This week, “Chen Hu Troops” with you concerned about the F35 development crisis.

Ben Wang Focus: F-35, Why the hell prices?

F-35 unit greatly overrun will start replacing the Air Force model assessment

prices soared to F35 aircraft research and development projects face huge crisis: rising prices, the expected purchase quantity is difficult to achieve, so the Air Force is likely to start on the F35 project in a recent evaluation of alternative projects, while Britain also came the news that prices as F35, the British military is consider reducing the number of procurement F35.

being developed as the world’s most advanced fourth generation fighter, F35 will make the crisis facing the United States and many Western countries, the development of future aircraft, equipment, a huge problem, F35 crisis actually gives us a revelation is this: buy from, use, the equipment has become a major new R & D process is facing a huge problem. How to solve this problem, is currently the focus of many research and development units need to strengthen an important issue.

pre-feasibility studies for large research equipment essential to the success

a crisis situation from the F35, solutions buy from, starting with this issue , you first need to strengthen the pre-feasibility studies, development of any large equipment, pre-feasibility studies should be said that a project-based format for content. In other words, you developed this thing is what used to achieve what kind of indicators, how to achieve a cost-effective on the best balance.

U.S. fourth-generation fighters developed pre-feasibility work to do for a long time though, many reports from the point of view, but also do quite fine. But in fact the biggest problem facing is that when the initial research demonstrated the battlefield facing the environment and today has undergone tremendous changes. Either F22 or F35, originally developed for the battlefield of the Cold War environment are faced with such a strong opponent of the air environment, precisely because such a high-risk combat environment, requiring a new generation of combat aircraft in performance must be exhaustive, always advanced, so that a substantial increase in R & D difficulty will naturally lead to surge in R & D, and finally a threat to the project can stand to live, whether finalized.

In fact, the early demonstration equipment problems led to the development and use in the process aborted, so a lot of precedent. For example, the second-generation American fighter F104 is a typical example. At that time, the pursuit of high-altitude high-speed, and later as the battlefield changes in the environment, found that the initial set of indicators of problems, so service is not in F104 fighter gradually withdrew from active service time, the United States after the war advanced fighter aircraft developed a typical example of the failure. F35 has now begun the same problem, but is not reflected in the technical performance but in equipment research and development costs. Therefore, development of a new type of equipment, the early demonstration is essential, can accurately grasp the battlefield combat environment trend, as the smooth development of new equipment and equipment critical issue.

to want to buy from, starting with the audit work necessary to strengthen

in order to buy new equipment, the use of, the well a problem is to strengthen the audit work, audit work throughout the demonstration, development, and equipment throughout the process. In the world of new, large-scale equipment R & D process, can often be seen “fishing project” phenomenon, see the F35 just now, there have been the case.

originally planned F35 is most characteristic of cheap, buy from, use of, the emergence of the problem then, precisely here. Even today, F35 already become can not afford, can not afford, why this problem is actually in its early demonstration and R & D process, control the use of funds, there are many problems. Because R & D side, they want to maximize profits, and for the consumer, if not effectively control the development side of the goal to maximize profits, and finally, research and consumer pursuit of the target of an irreconcilable conflicts, this project will be the inevitable crisis.

of course, achieve buy from, with the starting, there should be a series of measures, for example, new equipment, especially for large equipment research and development, the risk to be shared equally, in fact, have done F35 this means that it is an international joint research and development projects in many countries is a lot of potential users is the initial investment, this approach can actually learn from.

In addition, the development process of new equipment, but also generate short-term benefits should be noted, especially as the F35 such a large, technically there are multi-generation large-scale projects, it’s research and development process will produce many stages of technological achievements, these initial results of the use of technology in upgrading old equipment, these old-fashioned equipment, after upgrading, but also to achieve new uses. Thus, in new equipment put into use before it has begun to produce benefits. This obviously also reduce the risk of developing a technical means.

open up export markets is an important way to reduce development costs

actually need to pay attention to an important issue is to develop export markets. Research and development costs of new equipment, increasing production costs, has become an irresistible trend. New weapons and equipment is a black hole suck the money, how to make equipment to produce the maximum economic benefits, the best way is to strive to open up export markets. Through exports, direct access to economic benefits, in turn, will promote R & D costs will be relatively lower. Russia in very difficult circumstances, to maintain the aviation industry or the defense industry, largely with the way open up export markets to achieve.

this experience for any nation, any business are equally applicable. In today’s environment, new equipment development, production not only to national defense needs, but also consider economic factors, the greatest economic benefits or direct economic return, so efforts to develop export markets must be fully appreciated. Of course, open up export markets may exist many problems, such as confidentiality issues and a series of problems, in fact, these problems, one should pay attention to, in fact, is not insurmountable.

many countries in the development of such equipment when there is policy support in this area, for example, as a sub-type of new equipment export, own type and so on. Confidentiality is a barrier to some extent, but not insurmountable obstacles. More attention to development of new equipment, production process of economic problems, should be the future development of new production equipment, an element which can not be ignored.

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