RE: F-35 jet program feels budgetary pressure........

[brad kaste]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2011/0106/F-35-jet-program-feels-budgetary-pressure

[AckAck]

Hounded by controversy for much of the past two years, the F-35 has become the poster child for troubled, vastly over-budget military weapons programs.Gee, I thought the F-22 was the poster child for troubled vastly over budget military weapons programs. Or was it the B-1? The V-22? The M777? The C-17? No, wait - it was the Bradley, the Abrams, the EFV ... Pretty much every weapons system to come out in the last 40 years...

Brian

[Allen]

I would like to point out that the last 2 poster childs for troubled, vastly over-budget military weapons programs have came from one place.

Lockheed

It almost like there milkin.... Naw, not possible!

[Marlin]

Hmmm, just days after this news;





http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2011/01/pratt-whitney.gif
Pratt & Whitney's Short Take Off Vertical Landing Variant F135 Engine Receives Initial Service Release

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Jan. 3, 2011 -- Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company, has achieved initial service release (ISR) for the short take off and vertical landing variant (STOVL) F135 engine, marking another major milestone. The propulsion system is now certified as the production configuration and cleared for flight in the Lockheed Martin F-35B stealth fighter. Pratt & Whitney received ISR for the conventional take off and landing/carrier variant (CTOL/CV) F135 engine in February 2010.
“Achieving initial service release for the STOVL propulsion system means all three variants of the F135 engine have met all necessary requirements and proven the safety, reliability and performance of this product. We are one step closer to powering operational flights,” said Bennett Croswell, vice president of F135/F119 Engine Programs, Pratt & Whitney. “I am proud of the F135 STOVL team and our partners at Rolls-Royce, Hamilton Sundstrand and Lockheed Martin for this great program accomplishment. We look forward to seeing the F135-powered Lightning II in operational flight.”
The F135 is in production and is the only engine powering the F-35 Lightning II flight test program today. The F135 CTOL/CV engine and STOVL propulsion system continues to power the F-35 Lightning II with 540 flight tests and more than 750 flight test hours. The F135 has powered all 12 vertical landings and the F135 engine is demonstrating excellent reliability, performance and thrust response. To date, Pratt & Whitney has delivered 12 production F135 engines, including the first two production STOVL propulsion systems.
Pratt & Whitney has designed, developed and tested the F135 to deliver the most advanced fifth generation fighter engine for the United States and its allies around the world. The F135 has been further enhanced with technologies developed in several U.S. Air Force and Navy technology programs.
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities and operational engine performance. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in funding related to the F-35 aircraft and F135 engines, changes in government procurement priorities and practices or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corp.'s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
# # #

Stephanie Duvall
Pratt & Whitney Military Engines
860.557.1382
stephanie.duvall@pw.utc.com

[MenendezDiego]

The more articles distributed like this, the more problems people at Lockheed will have

This is only hurting the F-35 program

We get it

[Bone]

... Pretty much every weapons system to come out in the last 40 years...

Brian

Pretty much. It's the nature of the beast. My dad was in the initial cadre of FB-111 pilots when the 509th BW at Pease AFB transitioned from B-52D's to the FB-111...very dicey.

[Bjoern]

Has there actually ever been a (military) program that was *cheaper* than projected?

[mcjerkyls]

I would like to point out that the last 2 poster childs for troubled, vastly over-budget military weapons programs have came from one place.

Lockheed

It almost like there milkin.... Naw, not possible!

im not trying to get into a political mudslingfest, but tis the nature of the beast i guess. Lockheed, specifically the Skunk Works, has a history of putting forward their projects on time, and usually under or on budget (when left to their own devices). As time goes on, the gov't requires more and more inspectors, auditors, etc. looking over the engineer's shoulders to observe and drink coffee. So you have a highly efficient outfit getting bloated with personnel that have no need to be in the shop. Ive even heard of companies actually being fined for delivering under budget...for fraudulent pretenses or some malarkey. The only way to limit or get rid of such cost overruns, IMO, would be less gov't intervention-as opposed to more "oversight".

[XLR8]

The real fix for military budgets are the outsourcing of military contracts to China or Asia. lol

[Bone]

Did someone say Lockheed?

Lockheed, these days, is what used to be: Lockheed, Convair, General Dynamics, and Martin-Marrieta.

I might have missed one.

My point here, and it's just an opinion, is that the problem isn't a "company", it's the red-tape carnival with a triple set of flaming hoops.

[Allen]

im not trying to get into a political mudslingfest, but tis the nature of the beast i guess. Lockheed, specifically the Skunk Works, has a history of putting forward their projects on time, and usually under or on budget (when left to their own devices). As time goes on, the gov't requires more and more inspectors, auditors, etc. looking over the engineer's shoulders to observe and drink coffee. So you have a highly efficient outfit getting bloated with personnel that have no need to be in the shop. Ive even heard of companies actually being fined for delivering under budget...for fraudulent pretenses or some malarkey. The only way to limit or get rid of such cost overruns, IMO, would be less gov't intervention-as opposed to more "oversight".


Did someone say Lockheed?

Lockheed, these days, is what used to be: Lockheed, Convair, General Dynamics, and Martin-Marrieta.

I might have missed one.

My point here, and it's just an opinion, is that the problem isn't a "company", it's the red-tape carnival with a triple set of flaming hoops.

This is going to sound bad comming from me and may seem to fly in the face of what I've said in the past.

If I were the USAF, The next plane I want will be a top secret "black project" no mater if it is a new fighter to a farking cessna. If it is a top secret "black project" Most of the Gov oversight is gone. No congress man or woman can say that a $.50 swich has to be made in there district or they will vote to hold the whole program up over it.

EDIT

An other news....

"The Pentagon overhauled the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter program for the second time in a year and said it would buy 41 Boeing Co F/A-18 warplanes over the next three years to offset slower production of the Lockheed plane."


An just to add some gas to my spot fire I stated in my first post.

"The F-35 has been expected to eventually account for about 25 percent of Lockheed's yearly revenue."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110107/ts_nm/us_pentagon_cuts_fighters;_ylt=AsRZS4RV3Zl7FjYxJGU VoJIEtbAF;_ylu=X3oDMTMwaW9pbDc0BGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMTE wMTA3L3VzX3BlbnRhZ29uX2N1dHNfZmlnaHRlcnMEcG9zAzMzB HNlYwN5bl9wYWdpbmF0ZV9zdW1tYXJ5X2xpc3QEc2xrA3BlbnR hZ29uZGVsYQ--