By AARON GREGG | The Washington Post | Published: March 5, 2021
WASHINGTON — The Democratic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee called the Lockheed Martin-produced F-35 Joint Strike Fighter a "rathole" in a virtual event with the Brookings Institution on Friday, and suggested the U.S. should consider whether to "cut its losses" by investing in a range of competing fighter jets.
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., whose Seattle-area district depends heavily on Boeing for jobs and investment, said the F-35 "doesn't work particularly well" and is too expensive to maintain. He also bemoaned the U.S. military's long-term dependence on it.
"I want to stop throwing money down that particular rathole," Smith said in a webcast conversation with Brookings' Michael O'Hanlon.