Posted on 02/01/2010 8:22:22 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The program is to get new leadership and Lockheed Martin is to forgo hundreds of millions of dollars in award fees, but U.S. defense secretary Robert Gates is “not sure” whether the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter can avoid breaching Nunn-McCurdy limits on cost growth.
The F-35 program is being restructured in a bid to stabilize its cost and schedule, after Lockheed fell behind in delivering aircraft for flight testing. The nearly $11 billion requested for fiscal 2011 reflects the Pentagon’s decision to increase funding for development and reduce procurement in an effort to get the program back on track.
In addition, Gates announced a change of leadership at the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) in Arlington, Va., and elevation of the JSF program manager to a three-star officer. The new program executive officer will be named “in a few days,” Gates said, and will replace U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David Heinz, a two-star officer.
“Progress and performance of the F-35 over the past two years has not been what it should, as a number of key goals and benchmarks were not met,” Gates said at the Pentagon midday. As a result, and with the company’s agreement, the Defense Dept. is to withhold $614 million in performance award fees from the Lockheed-led contracting team.
(Excerpt) Read more at aviationnow.com ...
These f***ers are insane.
Build more F-22s.
It’s not so complicated. Just say “we made a mistake”.
Say it.
The F-22 isn’t the “affordable” strike plane the F-35 is. or STOVL or Carrier based.
Ping
The F-22 is a replacement for the F-15: air superiority.
The F-35 is supposed to replace the beautiful and yet to be bested MRF, the F-16.
All these years and, like a great old Muscle Car, the F-16 is the best at what she does.
In the last 20 years, the idea that complexity is somehow better has become the prevalent idea.
And wrongfully so.
Yep, Gates canned the guy.
Dunno what to think of it though. Gates has been under Obamas thumbs of late.
Just a civilian here, but what happens when a technically capable adversary figures out how to interrupt our UAV / ground communications at crucial times?
Seriously. Let’s not presume Americans are the only technically competent people on earth.
In fact, we’re losing our technical excellence every day, as more and more of our best jobs are sent overseas.
Ping.
What galls most is that the United States has the best air superiority fighter ever built in the F-22. The Raptor is expensive, but it can literally sweep our enemies from the skies -- so we will cease its production after a meager run. Instead, we will pin our hopes on the overdue, overpriced and underperforming F-35. Lunacy...
Make no mistake about it folks, this is just the first brick in the foundation to be laid towards Bambi killing this project off.
It should be painfully clear to all that he has no intention of letting any advanced aerospace project go forward, F-22, Aeries , Constellation-Moon Mission Shuttle Replacement and this.
He will kill it when the time is right. And if reelected he will kill off the Advanced Strategic Bomber as well.
To think anything otherwise is foolish.
I used to work with a very proud mother of one of the pilots of the JSF. Thanks for your service to the country, sir.
Gates is an enigma. Don’t understand the guy at all. Not sure if it is Obama leading him or not. He acted the same way under Bush.
Glenn Beck is right - these people really do want to destroy America.
Spengler tried to warn everyone about this - Obama hates America [and all of the advanced technology of The Ice People]:
Obama's women reveal his secret
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/JB26Aa01.htmlAmerica's special grace
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/JG08Aa01.html
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