Posted on 12/02/2010 9:47:00 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Pentagon procurement chief Ashton Carter says he expects not to have to pay the Pentagon’s estimated $92-million average per-unit Joint Strike Fighter price, and he is “unhappy” with performance on the $380-billion program to date.
Carter says the Pentagon can “manage out some cost” from this estimate, which was devised by the Cost Analysis and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office in the Defense Department.
Some analysts expect the per-unit price to increase even further from the original $50-million estimate in 2002. The new Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program executive officer, Vice Adm. David Venlet, is “about 80% finished” with a top-to-bottom review of the program, Carter says, adding that this is the “most thorough” examination of the project to date. Venlet’s findings were briefed to Carter and the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB), but the ultimate decision on direction for the program lies with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Carter says that JSF purchasing “is not happening at that price,” adding that the Defense Department cannot afford a higher price for the aircraft.
The Pentagon announced last month that the most recent production lot, Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) 4, cost $3.49 billion for 31 aircraft. That equates to a cost of roughly $125.8 million (including long-lead items, but not including engines), lower than the CAPE predicted, Carter notes.
He made his comments during a speech for investors at the Credit Suisse 2010 Aerospace and Defense Conference here. Aviation Week is a media partner for the event.
The short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing version of the F-35, crafted originally for the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.K., continues to be a heavy driver behind cost growth and testing delays. When asked whether this version, the F-35B, could be terminated as proposed by a White House-commissioned deficit-reduction commission, Carter simply said: “All three variants are part of the program.” He declined to hypothesize what may happen to the project before the release of the Fiscal 2012 budget request due to Congress in February.
Cut it. Why line the pockets of the Dem union scum who work on defense factory floors. I know a Repub who was hounded out of one major contractor because they found out they were not a Dem.
If you think of it, maybe you can post an article or two on military procurement this evening.
Sure
Yeesh, for a second there, I thought Jimmah was weighing in on this and was prepared to go ballistic!
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