Up to $76 billion in development and operational costs could be saved by developing the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), says US Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition and technology under secretary, Paul Kaminski.
Of the total, some $60 billion in life-cycle costs would be saved, said Kaminski, speaking at the World Aviation Congress in Los Angeles, California. The balance would be made up of development costs.
The JSF programme is aimed at developing a family of attack aircraft for the USAir Force, Navy, Marine Corps and UK Royal Navy. Three basic versions of the aircraft - conventional take-off and landing, carrier-capable, and short take-off and vertical landing - will be built on the same production line
Boeing, Lockheed Martin and a McDonnell Douglas-led team, which includes Northrop Grumman and British Aerospace, are vying for the initial concept-demonstration contracts.
One of the three bidders will be eliminated in early November.
Source: Flight International
