Lockheed's fifth generation F-35 fighter programme in deep turbulence

Domain-B ^ | 03/03/2010 | Domain-B

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

US Air Force secretary Michael Donley said Tuesday that a major cost overrun in the tri-service, nine-nation Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme was very likely, and this would trigger an extensive, mandatory review of alternatives under the Nunn-McCurdy statute.

The Nunn-McCurdy Amendment, or Nunn–McCurdy Provision, is designed to curtail cost growth in American weapons procurement programs. It requires cost growth of more than 15 per cent to be notified to the United States Congress, and calls for the termination of programmes whose total cost grew by more than 25 per cent over the original estimate - unless the secretary of defense submits a detailed explanation certifying that the programme is essential to national security, that no suitable alternative of lesser cost is available, that new estimates of total programme costs are reasonable, and that the management structure is (or has been made) adequate to control costs.

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

I think all these stories about the F-35 program in trouble is an attempt to give Bambi cover so he can kill this one off too...

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Well, we need a plane to counter the Russian T-50.

[Vroomfondel]

Ping

[oldenuff2no]

The obambat wants to buy our weapons at the dollar store...

[truthguy]

The scaling back of the F22 program was another mistake by the Obama Administration. The F22 was in production and it's performance was beyond spectacular. Yes, it was expensive as hell but each new unit was going to cost less as the R&D costs were already paid for.

Putting all the chips on the F35 Program before the first production plane ever flew was completely insane. But I guess we are at the point that calling the Obama Administration stupid is redundant.

[spetznaz]

The F-35 will be more expensive per unit than the F-22 would have been if all (almost) 800 aircraft were purchased, and it will still be more expensive if only 380 (the second cut) had been purchased. This is looking more and more like the SeaWolf vs Virginia class submarine issue, where the Virginia ended up costing the same (more by certain accounting) than the SeaWolf which it was supposed to be a cheaper replacement (and the SW was that expensive because the number of hulls to be built was cut to THREE). In that case, however, at least the Virginia is still an amazing submarine that is better than anything else out there that the enemy might have, or will have in the future.

Not so for the F-35.

[american_ranger]

Ding ding We have winner.

[brooklin]

>>>Well, we need a plane to counter the Russian T-50

The F-35 ‘ain’t’ it...

[magslinger]

SONOBUOY PING!

Click on pic for past Navair pings.

Post or FReepmail me if you wish to be enlisted in or discharged from the Navair Pinglist.
The only requirement for inclusion in the Navair Pinglist is an interest in Naval Aviation.
This is a medium to low volume pinglist.

[The Sons of Liberty]

Bingo! - right on target. He’ll do it and crow about saving money, as he reallocates it to socialist programs.

[DesScorp]

"Well, we need a plane to counter the Russian T-50."

No, we don't. The T-50 is a expensive prototype, with technology that is still years behind the US. And even the Russians admit that it'll take up to 7 years to develop the needed engines for it... right now it's flying with Su-27 family engines. And then, finally, if they make a complete, functioning combat aircraft, they've still got to come up with the money to produce it.