Hi Vern, yes I agree the US defense budget is both comically large and likely spent on outdated priorities. As for the ballooning budget, I try to remind myself that the US is a very rich nation with a large GDP. If we consider military expenditure as a percentage of GDP, the US is way down the list at number 15. Having said that, I’m still a fan of the F-35 even though warfare is obviously moving toward automation and AI. I can’t help it, it’s a sexy jet.