UK manufacturers will build 15% of each F-35 jet (formerly Joint Strike Fighter) and the programme will support upwards of 24,000 jobs. However, the continued escalating costs of the planes, imposed economic austerity and technological advancements of drones have cast doubts over the long-term true scale of the programme.
The Ministry of Defence has ordered 48 F-35 jets at a cost of around £100m a plane and America is buying 2,443 at a cost of almost $400bn or $163m per plane. According to the Sunday Times, Pentagon officials estimate that it will cost $1 trillion to operate and maintain the fleet over the next…
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