Is the F-35 toast now, as far as a multi-branch airframe? PEOTUS thinks it should be. What say you?

I think he's gaining leverage, and leverage is what has been sorely needed by the DoD acquisition community with the defense industry for some time now. I cannot recollect the last time DoD acquisition lawyers and contracting officers grabbed a nut and Terminated For Cause. It is simply not done anymore. Every Congressman with jobs in his district will ALWAYS fight for a failed and over-cost program, rather than what is best for the DoD and the nation. LM stock lost $3.5B (and counting) in stock value today. Does he have their attention? Is he (and DoD acquisition) in a better negotiating position as a result of this simple demonstration of what a president-elect tweet can do? Yes, and in order to get major defense contractors cost under control, this is a sneaky and effective tactic.

This belongs to a much larger discussion of an acquisition law overhaul. The F-35 was conceived as a result of limitations to acquisition law and defense planning, programming, budgeting, and execution. Yes, the F-35 acquisition should be terminated as a multi service platform. As long as their are three services' budgets (Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force), there should not be a requirement to combine, convolve, and confuse disparate requirements on multi billion dollar programs. Multi billion dollar acquisitions turn into political fights over cash cows in Congressional districts. Smaller programs such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition at $100M/FY97 are a good model of a good multi service weapons system.

Each of the services should continue to procure the F-35 on the existing contracts, but should be authorized to cut back on orders so the services can reprogram funding in the out years for new aircraft. Once Mr. Trump realizes the bureaucracy involved in all of this, he should be a driving force in the overall picture--true defense acquisition reform. The end result for the OP and some follow-on comments would be realized, e.g. termination of F-35 acquisition, restructuring procurement, service life extension of A-10/ F-16/ F/A-18/ etc, planning/ programming/budgeting of new aircraft. In the bigger picture, Mr Trump would bring new perspective as a driving force in overhauling defense acquisitions.

I don't think because he raised cost concerns for the F35 that Trump is going to scrap the program. We elected an alert businessman whose going to change the way the government makes purchases. There is going to be heavy scrutiny with all government expenditures. The old government attitude of spend it because we have it or we'll lose it next time is over.