What Is The Real Cost Of The F-35 Program

Photo courtesy of Lockheed

How Much Does an F-35 Fighter Really Cost? -- Mark Thompson, Battleland/Time

There’s been a rash of recent reports that the U.S. military has wrestled the F-35’s cost growth to the mat. They come from some heavy hitters: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Air Force Lieut. General Christopher Bogdan, the F-35′s program manager, and the Pentagon’s latest Selected Acquisition Report.

That’s a good thing, if true: the $400 billion program is the most costly in the history of the world. Its price has jumped by nearly 70% since the Pentagon signed a deal to buy nearly 2,500 of the stealthy, single-engine, single-seat planes for the Air Force, Marines and Navy in 2001.

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My Comment: I give it a few more years before we can accurately calculate what is the real cost of the F-35 program. And here is an easy prediction .... it is going to be more expensive than what they originally promised.

F-35 Operational Flights To Start In 2015

Credit: JSF JPO

Pentagon:  -- DoD Buzz

The Marine Corps will begin operational flights of the F-35 fighter jet in 2015, followed by the Air Force in 2016 and the Navy in 2019, according to newly released information from the Defense Department.

The services were required to notify Congress by June 1 of the dates they expect to have enough aircraft in the fleet to support missions, a milestone known in military parlance as initial operating capability, or IOC.

The Marine Corps version of the jet, called the F-35B, which can take off like a helicopter and fly like a plane, will reach the milestone by December 2015; the Air Force’s by December 2016 and the Navy’s by February 2019, according to information provided by Marine Capt. Richard Ulsh, a spokesman for the service at the Pentagon.

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My Comment: Eric Palmer (via twitter) sums it up best .... "How can IOC dates for the F-35 be declared when operational testing/certification is a flying question mark?"

Update #1: USAF Accepts Limited Capability With 2016 F-35 IOC -- Aviation Week
Update #2: Combat Ready Dates for F-35 Jets Set by U.S. Military -- Bloomberg

F-35 Flight Test Intentional Departure

The Most Awesome F-35 Video I've Ever Seen -- Gizmodo

Lockheed Martin just completed the latest high angle of attack test series. It was a complete success, as this video shots. The video footage is spectacular, especially that unreal first shot:

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., May 16, 2013 – The latest in a series of Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35A high angle of attack (AOA) testing was recently completed. The testing accomplished high AOA beyond both the positive and negative maximum command limits, including intentionally putting the aircraft out of control in several configurations. This included initially flying in the stealth clean wing configuration. It was followed by testing with external air-to-air pylons and missiles and then with open weapon bay doors. The F-35A began edge-of-the-envelope high AOA testing in the Fall 2012. For all testing, recovery from out of control flight has been 100 percent successful without the use of the spin recovery chute, which is carried to maximize safety.

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New Revelations From Canada On The Troubled F-35 Program

 

Exclusive New Revelations About The Troubled F-35 Program -- The Fifth Estate/CBC 

It could yet prove to be the most expensive defense purchase in Canadian history -- $25 billion and counting. The military promises it's the best fighter jet available, but some critics are saying it's a turkey hatched from a bad idea: a do-it-all plane that might not do anything well-at-all.

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WNU Editor: This is a comprehensive Canadian news report from the Fifth Estate/CBC on the F-35 program .... and it is a must see program for anyone who is interested in the F-35 program.

As to what is my take on the program .... I am a Canadian and I have a friend (or two) in the government. They are telling me the same thing .... the Canadian government will not select the F-35 .... it is too expensive to buy and to maintain .... and more to the point .... they now believe that it will "not live up to it's hype".

The final decision to buy the F-35 plane will be decided in the future .... my prediction is that they will c

Is The F-35 Vulnerable To A Cyber Attack?

F-35 production. Reuters

Pentagon Downplays Comment On F-35 Fighter Jet Cyber Threat -- Chicago Tribune/Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Thursday downplayed a comment by one of its officials that he is not totally confident in the ability of the $396 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, built by Lockheed Martin Corp, to survive a cyber attack.

The Pentagon's F-35 program office issued a statement that the Department of Defense was "fully aware of evolving cyber threats and is taking specific action to counter them for all fielded systems, including F-35."

"The F-35 is no more or less vulnerable to known cyber threats than legacy aircraft were during their initial development and early production," spokesman Joe DellaVedova said when asked about a comment by Christopher Bodgan, the F-35 program manager, to lawmakers on Wednesday.

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Update #1: Pentagon in PR fight over F-35 fighter jets’ cyber vulnerabilities -- RT
Update #2: F-35 Chief Cautious But Hopeful On F-35 Software -- Aviation Week
Update #3: Program Chief: Software Problems Could Delay F-35’s Delivery Beyond 2017 -- Nextgov

My Comment: If there is no problem .... why mention it in the first place.

F-35 Pentagon Chief: Budget Cuts Could Slow F-35 Program

Pentagon’s Budget Cuts Could Slow F-35 Program, Congress Told -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — The on-time rollout of the F-35 fighter jet for its 2017 deadline could be in jeopardy as a result of forced federal budget cuts, testified a key military official to Congress on Wednesday.

The monetary problems could lead to a loss of customers for Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas,-based program, hurting the company. Six thousand people work on the F-35 project in Fort Worth.

Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan, the Pentagon’s executive officer of the F-35 program, told a Senate Armed Services subcommittee that he has “moderate confidence” that the first two software upgrade phases needed to complete the program will be delivered on time, but is less optimistic that the final phase will be completed as scheduled because of mandated budget cuts, known as sequestration, in the current fiscal year.

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More News On The F-35 Program

Pentagon sees risks, progress on Lockheed's F-35 jet -- Reuters
Lockheed Poised to Win Orders for Up to 71 F-35 Jets by June (1) -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Pentagon sees Singapore's decision about buying F-35s by summer -- Reuters
Pentagon sees some risk of delay in F-35 software -- Reuters
F-35 Data Link Completes Flight Test -- Avionics Today
Another Installment of ... F-35 Cost Per Flying Hour -- Ares/Aviation Week
Pentagon: Crack won't affect future of F-35 fighter -- Star Telegram
Israeli Aerospace reaches deal with Lockheed to make wings for F-35 next generation warplane -- FOX News/AP
Fokker contributes to F-35 program -- UPI
F-16s Step Up For Tardy F-35 -- Strategy Page
Game Changer: The F-35 and the Pacific -- Robbin F. Laird, The Diplomat

Lockheed Martin Continues To Try To Sell F-35s To Canada

 

Lockheed Martin Launches Canadian PR Campaign For F-35 -- CBC 

U.S. defence contractor takes F-35 simulator on road show. Lockheed Martin, the giant U.S. defence contractor, is launching a cross-Canada publicity blitz to convince Canadians to buy its F-35 stealth fighter jet — but it's simultaneously raising the price by a hefty $20 million US a plane.

 Steve O'Bryan, Lockheed's vice-president for the F-35 program, said just 18 months ago that Canada would pay $65 million per plane. Now, O'Bryan tells CBC News the price is $85 million.

It may not be the best time to mention that. The U.S. budget axe is hovering over the whole F-35 program and the Canadian government insists that it's no longer committed to buying the jet at all.

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My Comment: Too expensive to buy and maintain ..... as well as not being able to cover Canada's vast north unless aerial refilled .... that is the reason why Canada will not select the F-35.  

Update: A new episode of Canadian bunko squad and a conference of platitude -- Eric Palmer Blog

Delays In The F-35 Is Giving China A Strategic Advantage In Asia

The U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus flew the F-35C for two hours, checking instruments that will measure structural loads on the airframe during flight maneuvers. Wikipedia

Asia's F-35 Buyers Forced To Wait As China Seeks Edge -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The Pentagon's F-35 warplane is giving U.S. allies in Asia a headache as they look to replace ageing jets with a cutting edge aircraft now likely to be at least seven years late in offering a strategic deterrent to China.

The $400 billion weapons project has suffered technical faults, delays, cost overruns and now U.S. budget cuts that could force Washington to scale back its own purchases.

At the same time, China's soaring defense spending is rapidly eroding the advantage in technology, particularly in air power, that Washington and some of its regional allies have had over the People's Liberation Army (PLA) since the 1950s.

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My Comment: This F-35 fiasco is now undermining national security .... and Asia/China is aware of it.

Pentagon Report: The F-35 Won't Stand A Chance In Aerial Combat

Three F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (Reuters/Lockheed Martin/Darin Russell)

Three F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (Reuters/Lockheed Martin/Darin Russell) -- RT

Fatal flaws within the cockpit of the US military’s most expensive fighter jet ever are causing further problems with the Pentagon’s dubious F-35 program.

Just weeks after a fleet of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters was grounded for reasons unrelated, a new report from the Pentagon warns that any pilot that boards the pricey aircraft places himself in danger without even going into combat.

In a leaked memo from the Defense Department’s director of the Operational Test and Evaluation Directorate to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon official prefaces a report on the F-35 by cautioning that even training missions cannot be safely performed on board the aircraft at this time.

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More News On The "Dog-Fight" Weaknesses Of The F-35

Test Pilots: Stealth Jet’s Blind Spot Will Get It ‘Gunned Every Time’ -- The Danger Room
Pilots start F-35 training flights as Pentagon report pans jet -- Chicago Tribune/Reuters
Pentagon Report Warns Of F-35 Visibility Risks -- KPBS/AP
New Pentagon super fighter will get pilots shot down, warns report -- Washington Times
Leaked Pentagon Report: The F-35 Won't Stand A Chance In Aerial Combat -- Business Insider
F-35 Report Warns of Visibility Risks, Other Dangers -- Defense News
F-35 fighter jet plagued by poor visibility, Pentagon report warns -- Toronto Star
Leaked Pentagon report finds more F-35 flaws -- ABC News (Australia)
Problems aplenty for F-35 according to U.S. report -- The Province/Postmedia News

My Comment: Boeing's Super Hornet is beginning to look very good.

U.S. Air Force Ends F-35 Grounding

An undated handout photograph shows Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 fighter jet, provided to the media on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011. Source: Lockheed Martin Corp. via Bloomberg

Pentagon Says To Resume F-35 Flights -- Reuters

* Flights could resume Friday if weather allows
* Week-long grounding imposed after engine blade crack found
* Reports to be required after 25 hours of flight time

WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Thursday it would resume flights of its F-35 fighter jets following a week-long precautionary grounding imposed after a crack was found on an engine blade on a test plane in California.

"F-35 flight operations have been cleared to resume," Pentagon spokeswoman Kyra Hawn said in a statement. She said flights could begin as early as Friday, depending on weather conditions.

No additional cracks were found during inspections of engines on the remaining 50 planes in the Pentagon's fleet, or any spare engines, Hawn said.

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More News On The F-35 Being Permitted To Fly Again

Pentagon ends grounding of F-35 fighters -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Lockheed F-35 Flights Permitted to Resume, Pentagon Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Pentagon Returns New F-35 Jets to Service After Investigation -- New York Times
F-35 Gets Go-Ahead After Being Grounded -- Wall Street Journal
F-35 cleared to fly again after inspections find no problems -- Star-Telegram
Pentagon Says Lockheed F-35 Flights Can Resume After Engine Trouble -- Business Insider
Grounded US F-35 fighter jet fleet to resume flights -- BBC

F-35 To Resume F-35 Flights?

Pentagon Reviewing Pratt Recommendation To Resume F-35 Flights -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Thursday it was reviewing a recommendation by Pratt & Whitney to resume flights and ground operations of the F-35 fighter jet after a week-long grounding prompted by a cracked engine blade, but no decision has yet been made.

Spokeswoman Kyra Hawn said officials from the U.S. Air Force, Navy and the Pentagon's F-35 program office were reviewing data from a comprehensive engineering investigation conducted by Pratt about the cracked blade discovered on a test plane in Florida on February 19.

Pratt spokesman Matthew Bates confirmed that the F-35 Joint Program Office was assessing the company's recommendation to resume flights but declined to offer further comment.

Pratt, a unit of United Technologies Corp, supplies the engine for the single-engine, single-seat fighter plane, which is built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

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More News On The F-35

Pratt rules out worst-case cause for F-35 blade crack: sources -- Reuters
Pentagon says no additional cracks found in F-35 engines -- Reuters
F-35 Flight Ban Should Be Lifted, Pratt & Whitney Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Tests haven't revealed cracks in F-35 blades -- Politico
EXCLUSIVE-Honeywell to test some F-35 parts after smoke incident-Pentagon -- Reuters
Pentagon Escalates Rhetoric Against Lockheed Over F-35 -- Bloomberg
Lockheed Wins $334 Million F-35 Contract Before U.S. Cuts -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Lockheed awarded $334 million contract for F-35 long lead items -- Flight Global
Australian lawmakers confident in F-35's future -- Reuters
F-35 soaring costs trouble Australia -- UPI
F-35 Cost Per Flying Hour: A Tale of Two Numbers -- Ares/Aviation Week

When Will The F-35 Flights Resume?

F-35 Flights May Resume Within Week of Tracking Down Fault -- Bloomberg Businessweek

Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter may resume flying within a week of working out problems that caused its grounding, the program chief for the Pentagon’s most expensive weapon program said.

The grounding won’t affect delivery of the planes and the cause of the engine problems will be known by the end of the week, Chris Bogdan, head of the F-35 program at the U.S. Department of Defense, said in a briefing today in Melbourne. Australia is deciding its order of the stealth aircraft, amid a 7 percent cut to its defense equipment budget and delays in the delivery timetable for the aircraft.

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Update: F-35 grounding expected to be short lived -- PNJ.com

My Comment: The top Pentagon spokesman is spinning a slightly different story.

Pentagon F-35 Program Chief Accuses Lockheed And Pratt & Whitney Of Trying To "Squeeze Every Nickel" Out Of The Program

Workers can be seen on the moving line and forward fuselage assembly areas for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter at Lockheed Martin Corp's factory. (Reuters)

Pentagon F-35 Program Chief Lashes Lockheed, Pratt -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The Pentagon program chief for the F-35 warplane slammed its commercial partners Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) and Pratt & Whitney on Wednesday, accusing them of trying to "squeeze every nickel" out of the U.S. government and failing to see the long-term benefits of the project.

U.S. Lieutenant-General Christopher Bogdan made the comments during a visit to Australia, where he has sought to convince lawmakers and generals to stick to a plan to buy 100 of the jets, an exercise complicated by the second grounding of the plane this year and looming U.S. defense cuts.

Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N), is sole supplier of engines to the $396 billion F-35, or Joint Strike Fighter. Lockheed Martin provides the body of the radar-evading jet, the most expensive combat aircraft in history.

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Update #1: F-35 program chief rips defense firms -- DoD Buzz
Update #2: F-35 program chief lashes out at jet producers -- RT

My Comment: The Pentagon F-35 Program Chief is probably right .... but his performance has not exactly been stellar either. The F-35 program is in trouble, and with budget cuts now being debated .... it would not surprise me if the F-35 program ends up being put on the chopping block. The contractors are definitely aware of this possibility, and are now probably trying their best to recoup their costs from a program that is now faced with huge costs and greater scrutiny from the budget cutters. Is this wrong .... yes .... but it is also not surprising.

F-35 News Updates -- February 25, 2013

F-35: Blade Bummer -- Mark Thompson, Battleland/Time

The news that the Pentagon’s fleet of 51 F-35 fighters has been grounded because of a half-inch crack in one of its engine’s turbine blade is one of those problems that can truly be called a teething issue: it’s something that happens on most every high-tech jet engine that is pushing the engineering envelope.

Pentagon officials over the weekend suggested waiting for Pratt & Whitney, the maker of the F-135 powerplant that powers the F-35, could take a week to 10 days.

Sometimes such problems are natural; sometimes not.

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More News On The F-35

JSF Findings Expected This Week -- Defense News
F-35 Grounding Sends Pilots To Simulators -- Defense News
Honeywell to test some F-35 parts after smoke incident -- Reuters
Lithium-ion battery not involved in F-35 smoke incident: Lockheed -- Reuters
Pentagon F-35 chief says grounding will not delay delivery -- Reuters
Pentagon: Crack won't affect future of F-35 fighter -- Kansas City Star/McClatchy
F-35 Flights Should Resume Soon -- Industry Week
F-35 Flights May Resume Within Week of Tracking Down Fault -- Bloomberg Businessweek
F-35: Grounded Due to Engine Issues -- The Diplomat
United States: Pentagon grounds F-35 fighters over engine problem -- Avionics Aviation
F-35 grounding latest setback for troubled program -- Politico

What Are The Current Plans For F-35 Orders From The U.S. And Allies

FACTBOX-Current Plans For F-35 Warplane Orders From U.S., Allies -- Global Post/Reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The United States and its allies plan to buy thousands of new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter warplanes in coming years. Following is a list of the planned purchases, according to data provided by Lockheed Martin Corp, the prime contractor for the $396 billion weapons program. Lockheed is developing three variants for the U.S. military services and eight partner countries that helped fund the plane's development - Britain, Australia, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Canada. Two other countries, Italy and Japan, have also placed orders for the fighter jet.

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Update: Fighter jet grounding won't deter purchases: US -- Business Spectator

My Comment: Eric Palmer Blog does an excellent dissection on why these sales figures and projections are not going to happen.

Pentagon Grounds The Entire F-35 Fleet

An F-35A at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Photo: Air Force

Multi-Billion Dollar F-35 Fleet Grounded -- ABC News

The military has grounded its entire fleet of F-35 stealth fighters, the most expensive weapons program in history, after finding a crack in one of the multi-million-dollar plane’s engines.

The grounding comes just days after the Marine Corps gave its variation of the fighter the green light to fly again after its own month-long grounding for an unrelated problem.

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program office released a statement today saying a routine engine inspection on Feb. 19 “revealed a crack on a low-pressure turbine blade of an F-35 engine” and the office took the “precautionary measure” of suspending all F-35 flight operations.

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More News On The F-35 Fleet Being Grounded

U.S. Grounds Entire F-35 Fleet Over Engine Issues -- Defense News
Pentagon Grounds JSF Fleet After Turbine Blade Cracks; 'Potential Exists For Catastrophic Failure' -- Aol Defense
Engine Crack Grounds Pentagon’s Entire Fleet of F-35 Stealth Fighters -- Danger Room
Engine Crack Grounds Entire Lockheed F-35 Fleet -- Aviation Week
Pentagon grounds entire Joint Strike Fighter fleet -- Stars and Stripes
Pentagon suspends F-35 flights due to engine blade crack -- Reuters
Pentagon grounds F-35 fleet after engine crack found -- CBS/AP
Pentagon grounds F-35 fleet over engine issues -- USA Today/AP
F-35 fleet grounded after crack on engine blade found -- Washington Times
New Troubles for Pentagon’s F-35 Fighter -- New York Times
Pentagon grounds all of Lockheed Martin's F-35s after engine defect found -- al.com
Pentagon grounds all F-35 strike fighters over crack in engine blade -- NBC
U.S. military grounds F-35 fighter jets -- CNN
F-35s grounded as precaution after crack found in engine blade -- US Air Force
F-35 grounded after engine blade crack discovery -- Australian Aviation
The Entire Fleet Of F-35s Has Been Grounded -- Business Insider
US grounds all F-35s after discovering potentially fatal flaw -- RT

BREAKING NEWS: F-35 Fleet Grounded Over A Crack In An Engine Component

A file image of JSF development aircraft F-35A AF-6 over Edwards AFB. Australian Aviation

U.S. Military Grounds F-35 Fighter Jets -- CNN

The Pentagon's most expensive weapons system is going to spend some time on the bench.

The U.S. military on Friday grounded the F-35 fighter jet due to a crack in an engine component that was discovered during a routine inspection in California. The fighter is currently being tested.

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WNU Editor: This story will be updated at 20:00 EST

A Critical Aussie Report On The F-35 (Video)

The F-35A while being towed at the Inauguration Ceremony on July 7th, 2006. Wikipedia

Reach For The Sky -- Four Corners

It's been billed as the smartest jet fighter on the planet, designed to strike enemies in the air and on the ground without being detected by radar. But after a decade of intensive development, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is over budget, a long way behind schedule and described by one expert as "big, fat and draggy".

The JSF project could cost Australian taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. Is this plane a super fighter or a massive waste of money?

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My Comment: The video report on the F-35 in this post is must see.

A Critical Analysis On The F-35

The U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus flew the F-35C for two hours, checking instruments that will measure structural loads on the airframe during flight maneuvers. February 11, 2011. Wikipedia

The Most Expensive Weapon Ever Built -- Mark Thompson, Time

Marine Major Aric "Walleye" Liberman was uncharacteristically modest for a Navy SEAL turned fighter pilot. He had just landed an F-35--one of the 2,457 jets the Pentagon plans to buy for $400 billion, making it the costliest weapons program in human history--at its initial operational base late last year. Amid celebratory hoopla, he declined photographers' requests to give a thumbs-up for the cameras that sunny day in Yuma, Ariz. "No, no, no," he demurred with a smile.

Liberman's reticence was understandable. For while the Marines hailed his arrival as a sign that their initial F-35 squadron is now operational, there's one sticking point. "It's an operational squadron," a Marine spokesman said. "The aircraft is not operational."

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My Comment: Not surprisingly .... there are some who are critical of Time's post on the F-35. As to what's my take .... I keep on reading stories like this one .... I see costs going up, technical problems increasing, and defense budgets being cut. In short .... this program is in trouble.

F-35 Banned From Flying In Bad Weather Because It Could EXPLODE!

Lockheed Martin

New £150Million Combat Jet Is Banned From Flying In Bad Weather Because It Could EXPLODE -- Daily Mail

* F-35 Joint Strike Fighter not allowed to fly within 25 miles of thunderstorms
* Engineers found its fuel tank could explode if hit by lightning
* Britain committed to buying 48 of the aircraft, while U.S. is buying 2,500

It's considered to be the world's most sophisticated superfighter jet, but Britain's new £150million combat aircraft has been banned from flying in bad weather for fears it could explode.

Engineers working on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have found the jet's fuel tank could explode if hit by lightning.

According to reports, the aircraft, which is hoped to enter service for both the RAF and the Royal Navy in five years' time, has also been made more vulnerable to enemy attack than the aircraft it is set to replace, after its weight was reduced in an attempt to increase fuel efficiency.

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More News On The F-35 Being Banned From Flying In Bad Weather

The F-35 Could Explode In Midair If Struck By Lightning -- Business Insider
New RAF Super Jet Could 'Blow Up' In Bad Weather -- IBTimes
Design flaw in 'Lightning II' F-35B jet raises fears of lightning-induced explosions -- RT
Lightning will ground F35 fighter jet known as the Lightning II -- The Telegraph

My Comment: WTF!