Are Australians being misled over the real cost of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

The Australian ^ | June 1, 2017 | ROBERT GOTTLIEBSEN

[sukhoi-30mki]

One of the world top independent defence experts has conduced an incredibly exhaustive examination of the real cost of the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) to those countries that are buying it.

The expert, Paris-based Giovanni de Briganti, of Defence-Aerospace, estimates that the average unit cost of Lockheed Martin JSF in the ninth low-rate initial production run is $US206.3 million.

The Australian parliament has been told by Defence Minister Marise Payne and Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne that the cost of our Joint Strike Fighters will be in the vicinity of $US90 million.

Such a huge variation means that either Giovanni de Briganti has completely got his calculations wrong when applied to Australia, or Pyne and Payne may have misled parliament.

I do not have the ability to decide which of the alternatives are correct but there is a good chance that the Pyne/Payne $90 million vicinity estimate leaves out essential costs.

Giovanni de Briganti believes the aircraft’s engine is one of the costs they leave out.

Let me explain what I think has happened.

Defence officials for over a decade have been hoodwinking politicians on both sides by conveniently leaving out the massive expenditures required to get the JSF aircraft into service. At least in the past that has included leaving out the cost of the engine.

De Briganti believes the low cost estimate covers only a partially-completed aircraft about to leave the factory and not one that is ready for action, which is the only true cost. Pyne and Payne may have fallen into the trap.

The parliament needs to get to the bottom in the real cost of the JSF.

De Briganti emphasises that his $US206.3 million cost includes “engines, fixes and upgrades” — as any proper cost calculation would include.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Original article by Giovanni de Briganti of Defence-Aerospace

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/feature/5/184049/unit-cost-of-f_35s-delivered-this-year-still-exceeds-%24206m.html

[trebb]

From the headline, I expected to see a story about us misleading them - someone must really want those fighters over there and the squishes will do what leftist squishes do to not add a bit of punch to their arsenal.

[Don Corleone]

Base price does not include dealer supplied options such as radios, armament and the ever popular “Jim Click” desert protection package. (Tusconians will know what I mean/s)

[Carriage Hill]

Any hints yet on the cost of the “Eddie Bauer” package?

[PapaBear3625]

There are two cost components of the F-35:

1) The cost of development, amortized over the expected production run, and

2) The actual marginal cost to build one more plane.

The “$US206.3 million” figure is probably the sum of (1) and (2). We may choose to let allies have the plane for just the actual cost of making the plane (2).