Not to mention that that $55 million price tag that’s often quoted was pre-AESA.

$55 million is the unit cost—-NOT the weapons system cost. My squadron just got outfitted with brand new Rhinos. Did they come with brand new ATFLIR? Launchers? Nope. $55 mil for an airframe, engines, a few boxes, radar. The actual cost of a Rhino that’s going downtown is significantly more.

This isn’t as big of a deal as people are making it out to be. Current F/A-18 aircrew have a 136lb minimum weight in order to fly with the JHMCS. Even with heavier aircrew, pilots have suffered vertebral fractures during high speed ejections from the JHMCS visor blowing open and catching wind blast, yanking the head…