USMC Staff Sgt. Christopher Johnson (far right), F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter powerline instructor, discusses landing gear mechanics to students July 19, 2012 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The USMC is modeling their F-35 maintenance training after the Air Force, standing up the Marines first-ever air field training detachment with the 372nd Training Squadron Detachment 19 at Eglin. (U.S. Air Force photo/Dan Hawkins)
Bloomberg: Air Force Risks Losing Third of F-35s If Upkeep Costs Aren't Cut
* Operating costs may force cutting 590 fighters, analysis finds
* Half of support expenditures are spent on contractor support
The U.S. Air Force may have to cut its purchases of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 by a third if it can’t find ways to reduce operations and support costs by as much as 38 percent over a decade, according to an internal analysis.
The shortfall would force the service to subtract 590 of the fighter jets from the 1,763 it plans to order, the Air Force office charged with evaluating the F-35’s impact on operations and budgets, in an assessment obtained by Bloomberg News.
While the Defense Department has said it has gained control over costs for developing and producing a fleet of 2,456 F-35s for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps -- now projected at $406 billion -- the internal analysis underscores the current and looming challenges of maintaining and operating the warplanes.
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WNU Editor: When I started this blog there were two concerns about the F-35 program. The cost to buy one of them .... and the operational/support costs. After 10 years .... the purcahse price has gone up, and they still do not know how much it will cost to maintain the fleet.
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