>>64178264
>>64178483
>>64178414
Also, I think another aspect is the Vietnam War's lingering cynicism. US lost a lot of aircraft during the war, and there was this persistant belief that the "military industrial complex" was a giant scam, building crap vehicles that can't perform that well and put American's lives in danger. The Fighter Mafia and reformers cashed in on that cynicism by spinning a tale that there's massive military corruption and companies are selling over-priced junk to make the most money rather than be the best vehicle. Thus they were initially seen as whistle blowers speaking truth to power.

The irony is that US military itself saw the problem, and tried to innovate so that it wouldn't happen again and it's these very innovations that the Fighter Mafia and Reformers opposed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_losses_of_the_Vietnam_War