Should Citizens Understand Military Expenditures?

I don't think the public has much say as to how funding is handled. It would take an enormous number of people to affect any kind of response. That's why we have representatives in Washington. If they don't answer to the public, you just vote them out of office. Due to the immensity of the bureaucracy, it is next to impossible for the little guy to be heard and organizing a force large enough to be of any use, takes more organization and money than the public wants or is capable of handling. When government is small, changes can be effected by individuals and small groups, but when the government is large like ours is and growing bigger by the minute, there realistically isn't anything that an individual can really do.

Does anyone except me find the figure of 40,000 per flight hour a bit suspicious? Personally, I think it just the excuse for killing the program.

So far as the logic in killing the program, I believe it is a stupid mistake. We are going to export the F-35 Lightning at least as widely as we did the F-16. This means that our front line air superiority fighter will in effect be the F-35 and many others will have the technology to match it. As the F-35 does not carry the same air defense weaponry as the F-22, in the end it is likely to get our pilots killed.

If it were my decision or I had input, I would decrease the numbers of F-35 which is primarily an attack (read ground bomber) fighter and go right to an unmanned bomber, a role a robotic or remote guided craft could do quite well. Then I would increase the number of F-22s as the air superiority role requires a pilot in the craft due to the fast decisions required do not allow remote guidance

To answer the question, nope I do not believe anyone would listen and the decisions should include those who have the knowledge to best understand the trade-offs. Unfortunately the current system puts political appointees who may or may not understand and who are advised by think tanks analysts, lobbyists and other Washington backroom pundits who have their own agenda, plus politicians bringing home the pork the final say. Heck of a way to run a war.

40 grand per flight hour sounded pretty high to me.

Wonder how that is figured?

What's the hour cost of flying a F-35, or an F-16, or even a B-52?

I don't have enough information to make a really good judgement right now, and so sit on the fence, but 40 grand an hour struck me as right high.

P.S. This is a case where I suspect the Guest has reasons to post anonymously.