Defense Dept. says F-35 fighter program's costs to significantly rise

[laststeamtrain]

Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram / McClatchy Newspapers

Defense Dept. says F-35 fighter program's costs to significantly rise
Bob Cox | The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

last updated: April 07, 2010 07:54:36 AM

Defense Department officials have told Congress that the already ballooning costs of the F-35 joint strike fighter are likely to soar much higher when new estimates are completed in the summer.

In the Selected Acquisition Report for the F-35, a detailed document sent to Congress on Thursday, the Pentagon said it expects that cost studies now under way will produce estimates dramatically higher than those used in recent months to prepare the 2011 defense budget request.

Based on figures in the document, the average cost of one F-35 — $62 million when the program was launched in 2002 — could rise to $115.5 million, not counting inflation, by the time all 2,457 planes that the U.S. plans to buy are built.

Including inflation, the government now expects each F-35 to cost an average of $133.6 million. But even that figure could swell to more than $150 million when revised estimates are completed in June.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/07/91737/defense-dept-says-f-35-fighter.html

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... pretty soon you're talking about some real money.

[hayu_lol]

1. This sounds like one toy that Defense needs to forget about...

more than 2000 planes at 150 million each would most certainly break the bank.

At the moment, we and the Russians have the most advanced fighters on the planet. A few other countries have bought what we currently are using. The rest of the world is just not in the threat class...and that probably includes China.

Could be that this is a good time to start scaling back.

[Sherman A1]

5. Precisely

while advancing technology is probably good to consider. I favor reopening or maintaining the lines for F-15, 16 & 18. Those aircraft are still the best in the world and while what is being flown today are wearing out due to over use, they can simply be replaced without a quantum leap in technology for the interim.

[happygoluckytoyou]

11. IN A RELATED STORY military says it is "too big to fail" so give us the money

[Lord Magus]

29. I suggest we really piss off the righties and buy some of these.

[krispos42]

2. Shocking, I mean, just totally suprising and out of the blue.

Whooda thunk?


I'm still waiting to find out if the F-35 is weather-resistant or not. The Pentagon might have to spend $100,000,000 on Sham-Wows, for example.

[unhappycamper]

4. The $355 million dollar F-22 had sensor/moisture and corrosion problems.

The $239 million dollar F-35 is just a pig in every respect of the word.

In addition to building squadrons of these things (in their minds), the powers that be are have already bought a $250,000 flight helmet to go with the rest of this awesome failure.

[Jamastiene]

3. In other words, some of Cheney's buddies want to buy new mansions.

and more caviar.

[City Lights]

6. Time for the Pentagon to hold a fund raiser.

I would love to see top brass going door-to-door selling candy and wrapping paper.

[CLANG]

7. 357 BILLION for planes that are not even needed. That's the MIC for ya!

[bossy22]

22. 357 billion over the course of decades

not in one year....plus the USAF is in need of a replacement for its aging F-16 strike aircraft. The avg age of these fighters are about 22 years old; with a lifespan of 30 years. We will need to replace them starting in the next few years.

That being said i'm not the biggest fan of this program either; to me its an overpriced multirole fighter that the USAF is trying to pass off as an air-superiority fighter.

The U.S. should look into buying upgraded versions of the F-15 (the new silent eagle) which costs a 1/3rd less than the F-35. It happens to look like a great fighter.

[defendandprotect]

27. But look at all we get for our money--!!! The ability to intimidate the rest of the world--!!!

Granted, this is an "America" of homelessness and hungry children --

but, so what? War is immensely important --

if you plan is to conquer the world and destroy the planet!




:nuke:

[Thor_MN]

8. Oh wow, there's something you don't see every day. An unneeded military program facing massive cost

overruns. :sarcasm:

The spend and spend GOP never seem to notice these when complaining about Dem spending....

[Crowman1979]

9. It's BS that they couldn't make any more of the older aircraft like the F-15 with new modifications.

Stealth technology is such a waste of money. And why bother replacing something that works perfect for the current combat environment.

[Sherman A1]

12. You hit the nail on the head,

we don't need the F-35 or in my opinion the F-22. I do believe we need to be looking at replacements for what we fly now, but not be building them at this point.

[bossy22]

16. they are

the new F-15SG (silent Eagle), is an updated version of the F-15 with cheaper stealth technology. The price tag for the aircraft is about 90 million a peice...Alot better than the F-35

But the thing with the F-35 is its not an air-superiority fighter, so its not really replacing the F-15 line, but the F-16, A-10, and F-18 line of aircraft (except the super hornet)

I think the airforce should look into procuring super hornets for themselves....its a bargain at about 60 million a peice...not to mention its a fine fighter aircraft (also buying in bulk lowers the price)

[Crowman1979]

18. Or they could make some better anti-radar aircraft.

Once the radar network is gone, then stealth won't be that necessary.

[TroglodyteScholar]

26. It's worth mentioning that the F-15SG is only being built for Singapore. n/t

[Crowman1979]

32. They did the same thing with the F-5.

It was a highly capable combat aircraft that was inexpensive and easy to maintain, but it was not put into service and sold to foreign countries.

[Javaman]

10. The military industrial complex basically is the only

big industry we have left in this nation.

Lockheed Martin is the largest single employer next to the federal government.

They have positioned themselves in a way, that if this program is cut, many a person will lose their jobs.

This is what happens when we as a nation values profit and war over the people and peace.

There is an old axiom: "in order to keep the peace, prepare for war". Sadly, that has been completely bastardized to the point where it should now read, "in order to keep the economy running, prepare for war".

Peace no longer is considered or even matters.

We are now alway at war with Eurasia.

Ending this program just means it will be replaced by another.

I'm not saying we shouldn't end this program, but until something just as gigantic, costly and provides just as many jobs comes around, it will be replaced by another new military gadget.

The conveyor belt never stops.

[Arctic Dave]

13. Pissing away more money to the shitbag MIC while schools close

infrastructure goes unmaintained and people are thrown out in the streets. Makes total sense.

FTM

[TankLV]

14. Wow - I bet NOBODY saw that one coming...!!!

you could set your watch by that...

[hunter]

15. Kill it. Pack it up in boxes and put it all away in the big Indianna Jones warehouse.

Hire all the engineers and technicians now working on this to make something useful, with real budgets and real managers, and real expectations for getting the work done at a reasonable cost.

Put the Military-Industrial Complex out of business for good.

Without that huge tape worm weighing us down the United States could easily afford the best public schools, the best health care system, the strongest social safety net, and the most innovative transportation and energy systems in the world.

[formercia]

17. And lower taxes.

once the National Debt is paid off.

[Psephos]

19. The national debt is never going to be paid off.

The debt, plus the future unfunded liabilities of Medicare and SS, add up to more than the entire value of the United States.

What will happen is that deficits will continue to pile up, despite crocodile tears by our leaders, for a few more years until it's apparent to everyone that US Treasury Bonds have become junk bonds. Then, interest rates will jump, and payment of interest on the debt will become the largest budget item. It will be the end of discretionary spending.

It won't take long after that until bankruptcy. Watch California and Greece over the next few years for a preview of coming attractions.

[bossy22]

23. first off the debt never really has to be paid off

as long as we can just take care of the interest and grow more than our debt service (which is possible if we get our budget deficit down to 3% of GDP) we will never have to worry about paying it back completely. What will happen is that the debt will shrink when compared to GDP making it less and less significant

And we are no where near a bankruptcy. Japan is running a debt 200% of their GDP (ours is only about 70%) and i dont see much chicken little-ing about their day of reckoning.

The U.S. has never missed a payment and their is no sign of it happening anytime in the foreseeable future.

[defendandprotect]

28. You've just described and applauded insanity . . . !!!

[daleo]

20. The gift that keeps on giving. n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

21. Lets see if this flying abortion has a single remaining international customer in a year

A friend of mine who is a Navy F-18 pilot has been ranting about how ridiculous the F-22 and F-35 programs are until he turns purple for more than a decade. The only program he hates more is the EA-18 which he will rant about until he passes out.

If the JSF was being built in China they would be running out of room in their mass graves at the execution field.

[TroglodyteScholar]

24. Also, water...

...wet.

[defendandprotect]

25. Let's get rid of all the toys of violence -- US is biggest threat to the world . ..!!!

[Crowman1979]

33. If you mean nuclear weapons and super-expensive stealth planes, then I'm with you.

But the ground troops still need air support when someone actually attemps to invade the country. Hopefully that won't happen in our lifetimes.

[defendandprotect]

35. "When someone attempts to invade US" . . . did you notice that allegedly 19 hijackers

succeeded in doing that with NORAD AWOL?

What a joke!

And a privatized/mercenary military now!

[Crowman1979]

36. I meant an actual army.

You won't need combat aircraft for those situations.

[defendandprotect]

37. If 19 alleged hijackers can get thru our defense, what could an army possibly do?

And, btw, who's crossing the pacific or atlantic to attack us?

We're occupying most of those waters -- including the Mediterranean, etal.

$700 billion on our defense and 19 hijackers get thru NORAD?

And, had they bothered to run the alleged planes into the nuclear power plant

they flew over in NYC, why would they need an army?

We're living a farce spun by the right wing --

[Crowman1979]

38. Well you have to be prepared for every situation.

Albeit I think we need to slash the size of our military in half. But your right, we need to concentrate on actual threats, not ones made up by defense contractors.

[defendandprotect]

39. As I understand it, if we simply combine the services we can save 28% of the MIC budget!

Evidently, we're the only ones left who haven't done this!

[Crowman1979]

40. Well I was thinking of getting rid of these regional operational commands, like CENTCOM.

And decreasing the amount of 4 star generals to One, like canada does. We've got way to many 4 star generals!

[defendandprotect]

42. That, too -- !!

[Owl]

30. Cancel it.

[Supersedeas]

31. would Repigs advocate starting a war to justify the costs?

[Crowman1979]

34. Is the pope catholic?

Is water wet?
Do rocks move on their own?

Then the answer would be as Cenk Uyger would say:

OF COOOOOOOOOOOUUUURRRRRRSSSSE!

[elias49]

41. This is obscene

Will the DOD budget ever be 'on the table'? I can't think of a single legislator that has shown the balls to confront our massive federal deficit/debt with recommendations that the $700 billion defense budget needs correction.
NO-ONE mentions it...not talking heads on the MSM, not Cenk, not (as far as I know) Maddow....NO-ONE.
Two thousand, four hundred + F-35's...for what?
Fuck this!