Pentagon Tells Lockheed To Cut The F-35's $1.1 Trillion Support Bill

Air Force F-35s fly in formation over Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Photo: Air Force

Bloomberg: Lockheed Gets Edict to Cut F-35's $1.1 Trillion Support Bill

* Air Force could be forced to cut purchases if costs remain
* Company says it is taking steps to lower some estimated costs

Lockheed Martin Corp. must find ways to reduce the Pentagon’s current $1.1 trillion estimate to own and operate the F-35 jet, the world’s costliest weapons program, according to the Defense Department’s latest annual program overview.

According to the document, Lockheed “must embrace much-needed supply chain management affordability initiatives” to cut costs on the next-generation stealth fighter.

The $1.1 trillion estimate to sustain the U.S. F-35 fleet through 2077 was compiled in 2015 by the Pentagon’s independent cost assessment office but has not been updated, according to the Selected Acquisition Report, or SAR, obtained by Bloomberg News. The Pentagon said this week that the estimate will be updated next year before acquisition officials meet to decide whether the program should enter full-production.

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WNU Editor: Supporters of the F-35 say that the F-35s support of $1.1 trillion is not a big deal .... Why Trillion-Dollar Estimates To Keep the F-35 Fighter Flying Are Really Misleading (Loren Thompson, Forbes).