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U.S. Air Force still evaluating options for F-35 'block buy'
Source: Reuters
US | Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:54pm EDT
U.S. Air Force still evaluating options for F-35 'block buy'
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. | BY ANDREA SHALAL
The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it is still examining a possible "block buy" that the Pentagon hopes to put together to lower the cost of U.S. and foreign military purchases of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet in coming years.
Air Force acquisition chief William LaPlante said the U.S. military services and international partners are studying options for such a deal, which would pool planned purchases over a number of years to benefit from larger economies of scale and drive down the price of the new stealth fighter.
"All the services and the partners are just beginning to examine a bock buy. If in fact there is merit to it, we have time to do it," he said at the annual Air Force Association conference.
Major General Jeffrey Harrigian, director of the Air Force's F-35 integration office, earlier said that timing issue would make it "very difficult" to align the Air Force's budget process in time to benefit from a block buy starting in fiscal 2018.
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U.S. Air Force still evaluating options for F-35 'block buy'
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. | BY ANDREA SHALAL
The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it is still examining a possible "block buy" that the Pentagon hopes to put together to lower the cost of U.S. and foreign military purchases of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet in coming years.
Air Force acquisition chief William LaPlante said the U.S. military services and international partners are studying options for such a deal, which would pool planned purchases over a number of years to benefit from larger economies of scale and drive down the price of the new stealth fighter.
"All the services and the partners are just beginning to examine a bock buy. If in fact there is merit to it, we have time to do it," he said at the annual Air Force Association conference.
Major General Jeffrey Harrigian, director of the Air Force's F-35 integration office, earlier said that timing issue would make it "very difficult" to align the Air Force's budget process in time to benefit from a block buy starting in fiscal 2018.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/14/us-lockheed-fighter-airforce-idUSKCN0RE22220150914