Senate cut to F-35C will delay ‘critical’ capabilities: Navy
In response to lawmakers, Navy says budget cuts will add $700 million long-term to retrofit fighters.
In response to lawmakers, Navy says budget cuts will add $700 million long-term to retrofit fighters.
WASHINGTON: The F-35 program began taking a major step the last two weeks toward removing an enormous albatross from around its neck by replacing the much-maligned ALIS logistics system with its sleeker, faster and younger replacement, ODIN. The move to install ODIN on two of 14 deployments brings the logistics and planning system to units in […]
"I don't sense that the lack of that milestone is doing anything other than providing a launching point for criticism of the program," JPO Director Lt. Gen. Eric Fick said.
"We've always been bullish on the program's prospects, but admit we're more worried than we have been in a long time," wrote Roman Schweizer of Cowen Washington Research Group.
“If this program continues to fail ... we may need to invest in other more affordable programs, and backfill an operational shortfall of potentially over 800 tactical fighters,” said Rep. Donald Norcross, chair of the HASC tactical air and land forces subcommittee.
The NGAD program "represents a chance to design an airplane that is more sustainable than the F-35, if in fact the F-35 cannot get its cost-per-flying-hour down," said outgoing AF acquisition head Will Roper.
Authorizers want CAPE to assess costs and risks of the "aggressive and uncertain plan" Digital Century Series approach to acquire NGAD aircraft.
"The business case is a naïve bet on out-year operating cost savings – that’s an act the Hill has seen before, and it never pays off," independent analyst Rebecca Grant says of the Digital Century Series concept.
"Fix this now, before you have blood on your hands," said Rep. Rashida Talib.
"In day-to-day operations, one of our four core values at Kessel Run is 'ideas over rank,' says Kessel Run's Nick Setterberg.
Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett said the Space Command basing decision is being reopened, with a choice delayed until the end of the year -- at the earliest.
Asked during his briefing here whether 25 by 25 was achievable, Greg Ulmer, head of the F-35 program for Lockheed Martin, said the company would prove itself just as it had by lowering the cost of an F-35A to below $80 million one year early.
Acquisition chief Ellen Lord wants a radically new way of buying software, but appropriators have to approve.
"F-35 aircraft performance is falling short of warfighter requirements—that is, aircraft cannot perform as many missions or fly as often as required. This lower-than-desired aircraft performance is due largely to F-35 spare parts shortages and difficulty in managing and moving parts around the world"