Boeing May Benefit From Lockheed's F-35 DelaysAugust 13, 2010
Delays in the development of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighters may force the Pentagon to fund a stopgap measure to maintain battle readiness. Boeing would be a key beneficiary, receiving up to $7 billion to extend the service of the U.S. Navy’s older fleet of F/A-18 jets, according to a Bloomberg News report. The Navy is evaluating the cost of maintaining about 300 F/A-18 A and D fighter jets to stretch out their service to about 10,000 flight hours, or 16% more than planned. The overhaul is part of the Navy’s 2012-2016 budget proposals, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress. The Joint Strike Program is about four years behind schedule on several of key milestones, including the completion of the development phase and combat testing, Bloomberg reported. The Pentagon is now just beginning to review the fiscal 2012 budgets submitted from the Army, Air Force and Navy. They will be finalized sometime in February. The cost of extending the older F/A-18s will require purchasing parts, equipment and service, and would be in addition to as much as $4.8 billion the Navy has earmarked for purchasing new F/A-18E/F models through 2015, the GAO said. The Air Force also is studying the impact of upgrading about 300 Lockheed-built F-16s. The first F-35 squadrons are scheduled to be combat ready by 2016—about five years behind the Air Force's original June 2011 timeline and four years behind the Navy's date, Bloomberg reported. The F-35 is designed to be a one-size-fits-all fighter that works for the Air Force, Marines and Navy with modifications for each service. The Pentagon has budgeted $58 billion in F-35 acquisitions through 2015, according to the GAO report. |
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