A Second F-35 Engine. To Build .... Or Not To Build.

The Pratt & Whitney engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is undergoing full power testing in West Palm Beach, Fla. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor. Pratt & Whitney

One Jet Engine Maker Or Two? Gates' Defense Spending War -- Time Magazine

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is responsible for overseeing the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but on Thursday he took on a new war — on Capitol Hill, after a congressional panel added nearly a half-billion dollars to next year's defense budget for a jet engine the military insists it doesn't need. Gates called the move "a waste of money" and promised that the Pentagon "will strongly resist efforts to impose programs and changes on the Department that the military does not want, cannot afford, and that takes dollars from programs and endeavors the military services do need."

Read more ....

More News On The Building Of A Second F-35 Engine

US House panel defies Pentagon on fighter engine -- Reuters
Congress to Gates: Screw You. Again. -- The Danger Room
GE F-35 engine passes House panel vote -- Cincinnati.com
House panel OKs funds for alternate F-35 engine -- Navy Times
Gates Calls, Doesn’t Raise On F136 -- DoD Buzz
Gates: Obama would veto defense authorization bill over F-35 engine -- The Hill
Gates renews veto threat over F-35 engine -- AFP
Robert Gates aims to kill F-35 jet engine -- Politico
Gates wants veto of defense spending bill if unwanted projects remain -- CNN
Gates renews veto threat on jet engine -- Reuters