Stephen Trimble / Washington DC
A looming cost overrun for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) could add billions of dollars to the cost of of the 10-year development phase and provoke new questions about cost-sharing deals with international partners.
The US Department of Defense says an unresolved weight problem is causing delays, and Lockheed Martin is sliding back flight tests within the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase to allow more time to overcome the weight problem through airframe and powerplant improvements (Flight International, 6-12 January).
"The translation into a producible design is taking longer and is more complex than we had originally anticipated," says Michael Wynne, undersecretary of defence for acquisition technology and logistics. The revised plan "reflects our current best budgetary estimate of requirements to make sure the programme remains executable".
Published reports put the cost overrun as high as $5 billion. This could be borne entirely by the Pentagon by increasing the SDD spending top line, or by transferring production funds into the development cycle. Alternatively, the F-35 joint programme office could approach foreign partners for funds.
Eight international partners have pledged a combined $4.5 billion to the SDD effort, including a $2 billion investment by the UK, but more funds are unlikely. Disappointment over workshare access and technology transfer delays have crimped enthusiasm for the project abroad.
In any event, each cost-sharing agreement forbids the USA from requiring additional contributions. Some US lawmakers fear US taxpayers could carry a disproportionate cost burden.
Source: Flight International
