The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is what's wrong with how Washington buys weapons. The futuristic plane is billions of dollars over budget and nearly a decade behind schedule.
The F-35 also has the distinction of being the most expensive weapon program in history at a final price tag of $1.5 trillion.
Unfortunately, all that money has yet to produce a plane that works as intended. That's why the Navy is asking the Pentagon to allow it to take a three-year pause from buying the F-35 and to instead buy cheaper, proven planes.
But the Pentagon is saying no. It wants to force the Navy to buy jets it doesn't even want.