General Electric and Rolls-Royce are lobbying Congress to reinsert $56 million into next year's defence budget to continue concept development of the F136 alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter. Rear Adm Steve Inwalt, deputy director JSF programme office (JPO), says $440 million has been cut from F136 funding from 2004-9. The money is in place for 2003, and the JPO is talking to the services about funding from 2005, but the 2004 cash is gone. This will delay starting system development and demonstration by one year and availability by two years. Initial UK JSFs would have Pratt & Whitney engines, but talks are under way on how these could be exchanged for GE/R-R units. The engines are to be interchangeable, with R-R common equipment on both.
Source: Flight International
