I don't think "Lightning" is itself a bad name, especially considering its history. But the "II" appellation takes a lot of originality out of the name. I mean, the original Lightning is known as the "P-38 Lightning" right?

So why can't the JSF simply be the "F-35 Lightning?" Why is it necessary to call it "Lightning II?" Is anyone really going to confuse the F-35 Lightning with the P-38 Lightning?

I mean, the current Ford Mustang is just "Mustang," despite the fact the today's car is vastly different from the original Mustang. You might go as far as identify it as a "2006 Mustang" or a "2007 Mustang", but it would be really silly to call a car the "Ford Mustang V" or "Ford Mustang VII" or whatever.

"Lightning II" smacks of the same derivative naming convention. It devalues the original worth of the name.

If it has to be lightning, just "Lightning" please!

Posted by: Paul at July 3, 2006 09:57 PM

AT&T and the Intelligence community have been in bed for a long long time. Even before Echelon. Navy Intelligence have worked with them for several decades.

Posted by: DS at July 3, 2006 06:17 PM

JESUS. The Lightning II??? YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME. WE ARE NOT SPENDING BILLIONS TO SLAP A STUPID NAME LIKE THAT ONTO THIS AIRCRAFT!

GOOD JOB AMERICA! WAY TO BE ORIGINAL! Cant call it the Phoenix? Or the Cyclone? Or the Razorback? GEEZ!

Posted by: skrip00 at July 3, 2006 05:38 PM

That will be great! The Air Force will spend hundreds of thousands to study blogs, but we in the service won't be able to look at them! Right now (at least at the base level), the Air Force comms dudes run filters that prevent AF network users from visiting multitudes of websites. Most are understandable (porn, gambling, etc). However, more and more now, they are cracking down on blogs. I can somewhat understand this, as they are government networks for govt work, and some people could end up all day surfing blogs. But the comms dudes define blogs as 'personal webpages', and lump a lot of good blogs in with these (ie anything on blogspot is verboten). But and as we all know there are a great deal of useful blogs, many which might help do my job. Case in point, I can't get to Instapundit, as it is "political". Fair enough, but it is a shame. But more importantly, I now can't get to the Counterterrorism Blog (http://counterterrorismblog.org/). This is a great blog to keep up with the GWOT, and banning it because it is a blog is assinine. The irony here is the fact that it is a recommended blog by the Air Force's own Air University (http://www.au.af.mil/info-ops/related.htm) for their students (ie the Air Force's best) to study. FLame off....

Posted by: Chuck at July 3, 2006 04:18 PM

AT&T, NSA in bed pre-9/11? = Bill Clinton was probably responsible for this scandal back then

Posted by: pedestrian at July 3, 2006 02:53 PM