Lockheed Martin expects to be held to aggressive cost and schedule targets for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter despite the U.S. Defense Dept.’s decision for development and production based on more conservative independent estimates. The Pentagon’s decision to reject the JSF program office’s estimates and budget for the higher costs projected by the Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) group has reduced planned U.S. F-35 procurement to 43 from 52 in fiscal 2011 and to 45 from 62 in FY ‘12. But Lockheed remains convinced it can outperform the independent estimates and produce more aircraft for the procurement dollars...