The Best And Worst Weapons...of July 1989:

Time to check the record-book! We're going to do a little due diligence on an old July 10, 1989 issue of U.S. News and World Report, and see how the editors did! Did these inexpert defense prognosticators make good picks? Or exhibit bad judgement?

Worst:
B-2 Spirit Bomber: Justification--too expensive, B-1B and B-52 Bombers can take mission.
AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missile: Justification--IIR guidance didn't work too well.
Bradley M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle: Justification--Too big, less carrying capacity than advertised, Israelis refuse to use it.
F-15E Strike Eagle: Justifications--Overloaded, too expensive, Cheney proposed cutting funding after 1991. F-16s proposed as alternatives.
C-17 Globemaster III: Justification--C-5's cost $100 million dollars less, use sealift or commercial air as alternatives.
AEGIS combat system: Justification--t0o expensive, and bad commanders/operational incompetence can still offset any AEGIS command and control bennies.
V-22 Osprey: Justification--To expensive, and helicopters can serve as a cheap alternative.
AIM-122 AMRAAM: Justification--Alternatives--Sidewinders, Sparrows, cannons cheaper than the over-the-horizon 900,000 dollar apiece missile. Not battle tested at that point either.
Air Defense Anti-Tank System (ADATS): Justification--Cost twice as much as canceled DIVAD gun, puts three different weapons systems in single turret.
LHX--Light Helicopter Experimental (RAH-66 Comanche): Justification--capabilities growth made this one-seater into a stealthy, super-pricey chopper whose missions could be taken by cheaper choppers.
Best:
A-10 Thunderbolt II: Justification--Cheap and reliable. Just gets the job done at 7.6 million apiece.
AIM-9 Sidewinder: Justification--Shortrange missile, cheap at 50,000 bucks, still works fine.
F-16A Fighting Falcon: Justification--Cheap, 11 million dollar apiece dogfighter, long-ranged and maneuverable.
SSN-688 Los Angeles Class Sub: Justification--346 million apiece, but the 2 billion dollar replacements don't offer much in terms of performance improvement.

Questions:
So, after 18 years, how did U.S. News and World Report do? Were the worst actually the worst? And the best, have they been the best? How about the justifications? Did they hold up with time?