https://sputnikglobe.com/20210707/us-defense-dept-needs-to-cut-billions-in-f-35-costs-to-achieve-affordability---report-1083332341.html
US Defense Dept Needs to Cut Billions in F-35 Costs to Achieve Affordability - Report
US Defense Dept Needs to Cut Billions in F-35 Costs to Achieve Affordability - Report
Sputnik International
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US military services face tens of billions in sustainment costs that could make plans to acquire nearly 2,500 F-35 aircraft... 07.07.2021, Sputnik International
2021-07-07T21:33+0000
2021-07-07T21:33+0000
2023-04-30T05:35+0000
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“For example, the Air Force needs to reduce estimated annual per-plane costs by $3.7 million (47 percent) by 2036, or costs in that year alone will be $4.4 billion more than it can afford,” the report said.Instead, estimated sustainment costs over the aircrafts’ 66-year life cycle have risen steadily since 2012 - from $1.11 trillion to $1.27 trillion - despite efforts to trim expenses, the report said.But without assessing cost-reduction efforts and program requirements, such as number of planned aircraft, and developing a plan prior to declaring Milestone C, the Defense Department may continue to invest resources in a program it ultimately cannot afford, according to the report.The report recommended that Congress consider making future purchases of the fifth-generation aircraft contingent on progress reducing sustainment costs.
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military & intelligence, newsfeed, f-35b, f-35 ii joint strike fighter program, us defense budget, us defense spending, fighter, new fighter, jet fighter, fighter jet, us, f-35, us department of defense (dod)
military & intelligence, newsfeed, f-35b, f-35 ii joint strike fighter program, us defense budget, us defense spending, fighter, new fighter, jet fighter, fighter jet, us, f-35, us department of defense (dod)
US Defense Dept Needs to Cut Billions in F-35 Costs to Achieve Affordability - Report
21:33 GMT 07.07.2021 (Updated: 05:35 GMT 30.04.2023) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US military services face tens of billions in sustainment costs that could make plans to acquire nearly 2,500 F-35 aircraft unaffordable, the General Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report on Wednesday.
“For example, the Air Force needs to reduce estimated annual per-plane costs by $3.7 million (47 percent) by 2036, or costs in that year alone will be $4.4 billion more than it can afford,” the report said.
Instead, estimated sustainment costs over the aircrafts’ 66-year life cycle
have risen steadily since 2012 - from $1.11 trillion to $1.27 trillion - despite efforts to trim expenses, the report said.
The F-35 program estimates that it will declare Milestone C - a decision point for moving into full-rate production of the aircraft -sometime in the 2021-2023 time frame, the report added.
But without assessing cost-reduction efforts and program requirements, such as number of planned aircraft, and
developing a plan prior to declaring Milestone C, the Defense Department may continue to invest resources in a program it ultimately cannot afford, according to the report.
The report recommended that Congress consider making future purchases of the fifth-generation aircraft contingent on progress reducing sustainment costs.
