This was the first time Trump has given any specific details about his defense policy.
"When they say that this cannot perform as well as the planes we already have, what are [we] doing, and why are we spending so much more money?" — Trump said during the show.
"So when I hear that… I say we have to do something," Trump continued.
Trump was referring to a test report that was leaked last June describing the F-35's poor performance, especially when it came to combat maneuvering capabilities.
In addition to technical problems, F-35 fighters are in low demand among US allies. Canada, for example, planned to purchase 65 Lockheed Martin-made F-35s to be the country's next-generation tactical fighter at a cost of $45 billion.
However, the election of Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party during the past Canadian election might change that. During his election campaign, Trudeau promised to scrap the F-35 deal, stating it was too expensive.
Perhaps then Trump might be right. Why spend more money on something new that can't perform better than the existing product?
