Pentagon to OK F-35 Production

[unhappycamper]

Pentagon to OK F-35 Production
April 18, 2008
Knight Ridder

The Pentagon's top weapons buyer has given conditional approval for Lockheed Martin to proceed with production of the next batch of F-35 joint strike fighters, but has also asked for a new cost estimate of the program.

Pentagon and industry sources confirmed Wednesday that John Young, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, signed off on the plan last week after a March 28 review of the F-35 program by a Defense Acquisition Board.

The move, which was expected, allows the Pentagon to proceed with spending $2.6 billion allocated by Congress for the F-35 program in the 2008 defense budget.

It does contain one caveat: Production work can begin on six F-35A models, the conventional-takeoff version, for the U.S. Air Force. But before he allows work to proceed on six F-35B models, the short-takeoff-vertical-landing version for the Marines, Young wants to see the first test model of that jet fly and review its performance with program managers. That flight is expected to take place in May or June.

According to one industry source, who did not want to be quoted by name before the government made a formal announcement, Young has also asked for an updated price estimate by the Pentagon's internal Cost Analysis Improvement Group of keeping the F-35 program on its ambitious schedule from 2010 through 2015.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/pentagon-to-ok-f35-production.html



uhc comment: With any luck, the F-35A will be able to get above 40,000 ft.

[0007]

1. Who's gonna fly these plane? The Chinese?

[Soylent Brice]

2. that'll go great with this...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7351314.stm