House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wa.) said the U.S. military look for ways to reduce its dependence on the F-35 fighter jet, a notoriously expensive weapons platform.
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.