F-35 warplane costs driven up by production choice: U.S. general

[unhappycamper]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/19/lockheed-fighter-bogdan-idUSL4N0BI3WA20130219

F-35 warplane costs driven up by production choice: U.S. general
CANBERRA | Mon Feb 18, 2013 7:14pm EST

Feb 19 (Reuters) - A decision to start production of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet before it was fully tested has driven up the $396 billion cost of the troubled project and increased risks, the U.S. general heading development of the warplane has said.

The head of the Pentagon's F-35 programme office, Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television that major challenges had been created by a production and test approach known as "concurrency".

~snip~

Australia's government is looking at buying 24 more Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets amid continuing delays and setbacks in the Joint Strike Fighter project, which is the costliest programme in Pentagon procurement history.

That means Australia could buy fewer than the 100 F-35s originally planned, echoing warnings from Canada that it could also look to other options for its future jet fighters. The Netherlands and Italy have also cut back orders.