Pentagon officials to meet to address ($243 million dollar) F-35 program's problems

[unhappycamper]

Pentagon officials to meet to address F-35 program's problems
Posted Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010

In what has become a regular event, senior Pentagon officials will meet today to review why the F-35 joint strike fighter has fallen behind schedule and over budget yet again and what to do about it.

The top Pentagon weapons buyer, Ashton Carter, is scheduled to convene a defense acquisition board with military and civilian experts to try to understand why development and testing of the airplane is lagging behind a schedule that was revised this year for at least the seventh time.

The meeting, which was scheduled months ago, comes as Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his staff prepare the 2012 defense budget proposal. There are also increasing calls for huge defense budget cuts to help reduce government deficits.

The enormous but troubled F-35 program is often singled out as a prime budget-cutting target.

A major focus of the meeting will be the views of Vice Adm. David Venlet on what is wrong with the program and what has to be done to get things on track. Gates appointed Venlet F-35 program manager in February.



unhappycamper comment: Boeing won the contract to produce the $355 million dollar F-22. Lockheed was awarded the contract to build $243 million dollar F-35s.

Building number twos for a quarter of a billion dollars doesn't seem to be very smart.

[msongs]

1. job of F-35 is to attack the US treasury - mission accomplished nt

[Angleae]

2. Lockheed built the F-22, not Boeing.

Boeing is however a major subcontractor (wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, radar development).

[unhappycamper]

3. Mea culpa - you are correct.

I was in a hurry yesterday morning and screwed the pooch on that one.