Posted on 12/24/2010 9:56:01 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The US Department of Defense must reluctantly continue paying General Electric and Rolls-Royce to develop the F136 engine through at least 4 March, says Sen Sherrod Brown of Ohio.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has confirmed, says Brown, that a continuing resolution passed earlier this week by Congress includes funding to keep alive the alternate engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme.
DOD officials still hope to cancel the F136 to save nearly $2 billion in development costs - a cost thwarted by the engines Congressional allies every year since 2006.
(Excerpt) Read more at flightglobal.com ...
GE’s getting all their campaign cash back.
It seems most of the money has already been spent as the GE/RR F136 engine is in the last year of development. If development is canceled now all that money will definitely be wasted.
USAF tests show this engine performs at 25% above baseline for power output and is 25% more reliable because it operates at lower temperature than its competitor the P&W F135 engine.
Understandable why P&W is going all out to get the F136 development cancelled.
The F136 cost is fixed and cheaper than the F135. P&W are in real trouble no wonder they are hitting the campaign trail...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.