Experts Voice Pros and Cons of F-35, Military's Newest Fighter

MILITARY -- April 21, 2010 at 7:00 PM EDT

Experts Voice Pros and Cons of F-35, Military's Newest Fighter

The Pentagon's forthcoming warplane, the Joint Strike Fighter, is intended for use across the different branches of the military but has come under fire in Congress for skyrocketing costs and delays.

Skeptics and defenders of the aircraft, which will be called the F-35, express their views in the following extended interviews.

Author and journalist Bill Sweetman says for the first time the re-equipment plans of the U.S. fighter force is reliant on one program and one manufacturer:

Maj. Gen. C.D. Moore says the F-35's near invisibility to enemy weapons systems is one of the factors that will make it an effective warplane:

Former Capitol Hill staffer Winslow Wheeler says the F-35 was doomed from the start because of its three different functions and use by multiple services:

Tom Burbage of Lockheed Martin defends the Joint Strike Fighter from its critics:

On Wednesday's NewsHour, watch Kwame Holman's report on the controversial fighter.

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