It may seem like madness up front, but the savings logistically, and training and maintenance once it is built and operating in all three variants, over the years will more than make up for it through its life.
Think of those savings, multiplied by thousands of aircraft over 20-30 years.
In addition, the needed stealth and other 5th generation characteristics of the Air Force and Naval variants, and the V/STOL characteristics of the Marine variant are capabilities that are needed.
The principle interest in the V\STOL variant has nothing to do with land based air bases or runways...it is for use off of V\STOL carrier decks in support of Marine landings...and to help operate as Sea Control vessels when called upon in less intensive environments freeing up the large carriers for the more intensive environs...or having them work together in the same where the V\STOL aircraft can provide fleet defense, freeing up a much larger number of aircraft from the large carriers for strike.
The flexability will also more than pay for itself.
In this way, even with the difficiencies, doing one aircraft for three missions will save billions and billions over its life, if they have done it properly, in the logistical, training and maintenance areas.
Time alone will tell if they have done so correctly, and there are sure to be obstacles on the front end, as there were with the V-22 for example...which will be overcome so those future savings can be realized and I am willing to predict right now, short of the program being canceled by an Obama-like admin, that they will be realized and in the end the program will be considered a great success, and probably the most versatile, robust, and widely sold and distributed western aircraft of all time.
But that's just my opinion.
Still, I love to see this type of thing already happening:
