Why The Pentagon Is Spending So Unbelievably Much On The F-35

Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the most expensive acquisition in military history and one of the most controversial. Currently seven years behind schedule and $167 billion over budget, the F-35 program could cost over $1 trillion over its lifetime.

There are also concerns that the F-35 is vulnerable to being hacked, that its hull could crack, and that its design specifications have been stolen.

Despite that, the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy are sticking by the F-35 program, partially because the Air Force and Marine Corps have no alternatives, but also because of the great promise that the F-35 shows.

The F-35 evolved out of the Joint Strike Fighter competition, which was aimed at building a next-generation aircraft that could replace a range of fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft, in 1996.

The Pentagon has bought 29 F-35s this year. It has requested funding to buy an additional 34 aircraft for the 2015 fiscal year.

At the same time, Boeing has been loudly criticizing the F-35's stealth vulnerabilities in an attempt to get the Navy to buy more of its radar jamming champion EA-18G Growlers to support the Joint Strike Fighter.