3f developmental. We press on with testing and it will be critical that the program rapidly correct these deficiencies while mitigating the impact. The programs commitment is to mitigate these risks Going Forward and to do so within the bounds of the budget while delivering the full capability. Meanwhile, the programs focus is shifting to operations and support of inservice aircraft. The program has accumulated 50,000 flight hours and with 152 aircraft operating at eight bases across the country, the feedback on the aircraft and support systems is beginning to shape the programs priorities. The marines have two full squadrons in operation today and will stand up their third this june. They are Building Momentum as the service in the f35 effort gains capability and confidence and employing it tactically every day. They have demonstrated operations in 29 palms. They are training british pilots as well as marine corps pilots in beaufort, north carolina. Marine pilots love this plane. The
Here and said that were about 220,000 short of in strength ground troops. Were looking for ways to make sure we can meet the threats that we have. The f 35th pilots helmet alone cost 400,000. Thats ten Million Dollars for 2,500. As we look at the cost associated with it, were facing and how most of it is ground dlet that is were facing and forcing and fighting, does it make since to spend so much money on f 35 why we spend so much on our special forces around the world. Since we have to make choices. General, what i will tell you is that the department has many different kind of choices that they have to make and try and balance their requirements with the resources that they have. I will tell you that the f 35 is a longterm investment in defense of this nation and, our future adversary ris are not sitting still and in the next, 10, 20, 30 years we may very well need the capabilities that the f 35 will provide us to maintain our leadership and the world. So i consider the f 35 as an in
President ial election, lots of thinks to talk about there, talk about people in the room. Talk about obamas legacy a little bit. We will those are the big things, i guess, some of the big areas. Peter just as a reminder, youre going to be bigtime, this is going to be broadcast live on cspan. Larry i know, absolutely. Cspan is so big, it doesnt need h. D. Thats how i like to think of cspan, it doesnt need it. Cspan, you want hfpblg d. , we dont need it. Were cspan, people will watch anyway. Thats how bad cspan is, how bad ass cspan is. Peter Larry Wilmore is not only the host of the nightly show, he is an author and also an executive producer. Whats your connection with the tv show blackish . Larry i helped do the pilot and exec produced the first several episodes. When we were producing the pilot, i got the call to do this show. I wasnt able to finish the whole season. I worked with the creator of the show and we had a great time. Kenya had such a brilliant idea with that and based on
We have a lot more time and more maturity in the airplane we have upgraded that list. The 80 number you heard at eglin, which was accurate, for the entire fleet today is about half that now. Thats not the best part of the story. Thats the whole fleet. The best part is the lot 6 and 7 airplanes were fielding today were improving today because of the things in the last two years, they are only seeing a handful of 1s and 2s everyday. And that 40 includes the 80 includes all the older airplanes that until they are upgraded, they are going to still have that issue but the newer airplanes, much better. The general has experience with the new airplanes at Hill Air Force base that they have been using. He might be able to tell you more. Those airplanes, maam, we have three of them up there. They have not lost a sortie since they delivered them. As we have delivered these newer airplanes, they are performing really well. Eglin still has older ones and struggle with the older systems the Program
Refuge crisis and after that, its question time at the british house of commons. Every weekend, the cspan Networks Feature programs. We are with live from Council Bluffs iowa for a town hall meeting with senator ted cruz followed by a live callin program. And on saturday night, its the Jefferson Jackson dinner. Speakers will be bernie sanders, martineau maly and Hilary Clinton and former governor of rhode island, and sunday evening, republican president ial candidate will hold a town hall in carolina. And book tv, the wisconsin book festival from madison, featuring interviews with nonfiction authors. Including mary norris and her book to english language. And David Maraniss on the city of detroit. And sunday night at 9 00 on afterwards. Former missouri on American History tv on cspan3. Saturday evening at 6 00, clayton laurie, and sunday morning at 10 00 on oral histories. Julian bond who passed away in august. On a interview growing up in the south and get our complete weekend schedul