Two facts about the F-35 fighter plane are nearly universally recognized: first, the plane has capabilities never before seen in a fighter jet, and second, it’s a complete disaster.

At a record-breaking cost of $1.75 trillion in public money, with hardly anything to show for it, the F-35 project is increasingly hard to rationalize. Even top government officials are now criticizing it, posing the question: Could the project be nearing its termination? If that happens, we must be ready to demand that no similar project takes its place — even though weapons manufacturers will do everything in their power to line up a new trillion-dollar contract.

Pentagon contracts are convoluted and confusing, but suffice to say that weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin have a lot to gain from obtaining them and little accountability if the projects don’t go as planned. Consequently, these contracts regularly see cost overruns on top of already massive price tags.