Pentagon Focused on Halting F-35 Costs

[unhappycamper]

Pentagon Focused on Halting F-35 Costs
December 04, 2009
American Forces Press Service|by Donna Miles

Pentagon officials are working to halt spiraling costs in the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft program while ensuring competition for a new refueling tanker remains fair to all contenders, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here.

Mr. Lynn told the Aerospace and Defense Conference audience he's concerned about both "cost and schedule challenges" associated with the next-generation fighter aircraft that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates calls "the heart of the future of our tactical combat aviation."

"We don't like some of the trends we see, and we are determined not to accept those trends," Mr. Lynn told the audience of aerospace executives.

Defense Department officials are reviewing the program and exploring ways to get the contractor, Lockheed Martin Corp., to share in the cost of scheduling delays, he said. Meanwhile, they're revising and restructuring the program to make sure it delivers on schedule.

The big question, Mr. Lynn told the group, is: "Can we make the test program more robust and more redundant so to ensure the development comes in a timely way?"


Rest of article about this $239 million dollar pig-in-a-poke at: http://www.military.com/news/article/air-force-news/pentagon-focused-on-halting-f35-costs.html?wh=news

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Cool helmet.... I feel safe, do you feel safe????

http://scitechlab.wordpress.com/2007/11/09/f-35-joint-strike-fighter-developmental-pilot-helmet/

[Crowman1979]

2. Private enterprise does it more efficient, MY ASS!

How is this gonna help against fighting those who hide in moutains and use cheaply manufactured weapons made by their own force? They sure as hell don't have to worry about contractors charging 10-fold the price by throwing in a bunch of fancy/delicate equipment that breaks down easily!