U.S. May Allow India to Join JSF Effort

Parthy

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Extra $1 Billion Overrun Estimated For F-35

The Pentagon estimates that the first three production lots of the F-35 are exceeding cost projections by up to 15%, nearly $1 billion, most of which will be paid for by the government.

The total estimated overrun for the 28 single-engine, stealthy fighters in those three production lots is $918 million, according to Joe Dellavedova, spokesman for the Joint Strike Fighter program office. Contracts for these aircraft were cost-plus arrangements, placing much of the burden for overruns on the government.

The U.S. intends to pay for $635 million—or 70%—of the projected overage while Lockheed Martin and engine maker Pratt & Whitney, the F-35 lead contractors, will pay for the remaining $283 million by "reducing their target fee," Dellavedova says. He adds in a written statement that another $136 million will be required "to modify early production aircraft to attain useful service life capabilities. F-35 concurrency is generating significant change that both perturbs the learning cost reduction and adds costs for modifying delivered jets."

Lockheed Martin spokesman Michael Rein says these numbers are "still being scrubbed and are the worst-case scenario." The company, he says, is "working hard to lower it."

However, the joint program office is keeping the pressure on the contractor team about price. "Going forward, controlling costs is an absolute must," Dellavedova says.

A multibillion-dollar restructuring implemented this year was designed to reduce risk from the testing plan and slow the production ramp up in hopes of avoiding future concurrency problems.

Including the so-called "concurrency modifications" ($136 million), the total overage for those aircraft on Lots 1-3 is $1.05 billion. These new costs will be reflected in a revised cost report, called a selected acquisition report (SAR), going to Congress in the fall. Prior to release of that report, Pentagon procurement chief Ashton Carter will review the program in a formal Defense Acquisition Board meeting.

As of late last year, the targeted per-unit prices for low-rate initial production lots 1-3 are as follows for the conventional-takeoff-and-landing (CTOL) F-35A; the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing (Stovl) F-35B and the F-35C carrier version:

"¢ LRIP 1 — CTOL: $221.2 million

"¢ LRIP 2 — CTOL: $161.7 million; Stovl (first purchase) $160.7

"¢ LRIP 3 — CTOL: $128.2 million; Stovl $128 million.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin has begun Lot 4 production under its first fixed-price contract with the Pentagon. Under this arrangement, the government and contractor team equally share the price of overruns up to 120% of the target price; any overage beyond that is the responsibility of the contractor.

Negotiations are under way for another fixed-price contract for Lot 5.

The government also is conducting a "should-cost" review of the F-35 leading up to finalizing that contract.


Extra $1 Billion Overrun Estimated For F-35 | AVIATION WEEK
 

weg

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"¢ LRIP 3 — CTOL: $128.2 million; Stovl $128 million.
That was the target, in reality it was $200million for the CTOL version.
 

Crusader53

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That was the target, in reality it was $200million for the CTOL version.
Personally, debating price is a complete waste of time. As we have little concrete data and what we do have changes by the day. Plus, people believe what they want depending on if they support or don't support the JSF Program.
 

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What's The Price Tag For a Production F-35?

By DAVE MAJUMDAR
Published: 12 Sep 2011 12:28

What is the true unit cost of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)?

It's tough to say. The JSF program office has one estimate. The Pentagon's Office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation has another.


They don't match, won't be released to the public until they do, and aren't final anyway until the jets begin to come off the line in steady production, a JSF program official said.

And things may change. The Defense Department is looking at altering production plans as it builds the 2013 budget, and Congress may change things in the 2012 budget.

One thing is clear: The price tag for a production model F-35A will not be $65 million in 2010 dollars.

That's the average per-plane cost repeatedly given by officials with F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin - for example, Tom Burbage, a top F-35 official, speaking to reporters in Australia last month.

Weeks later, a Lockheed spokeswoman gave the same figure - but said it was 2011 dollars.

"This is in line with current fourth generation fighter costs, which do not include targeting pods, jammers, decoy systems, [Electronic Warfare] equipment, fuel tanks, infrared search and track, night vision devices, helmet and other systems," Lockheed spokeswoman Laurie Quincy said.

An official at the JSF program office said Lockheed's $65 million price tag claim is "disingenuous" because it does not include the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine that powers the jet. The program office has repeatedly asked the company to stop using the $65 million figure, he said.

An industry source denied that and said Lockheed's $65 million figure includes the engines and expressed dismay that the JSF official was be unaware of that fact.

He said the cost is averaged over total projected sales of 3,163 aircraft.

The U.S. currently plans to buy a total of 2,443 F-35s.

The engine will cost roughly

$11 million once in full-rate production, said William Storey, an analyst with Teal Group.

"The goal is to get unit prices down to around $10 million, so $11 million seems reasonable for the long run," Storey said.

The Air Force's 2011 budget shows that engines for low-rate initial production F-35A cost $13 million apiece.

Pratt & Whitney spokeswoman Stephanie Duvall declined to confirm the price of the engine, saying that the data is "confidential information shared between [Pratt & Whitney] and our customers."

Still Price-Competitive

Even if the JSF official was right, and Lockheed's $65 million price tag does not include the engine, the unit cost of the F-35A is comparable to other aircraft.

That's because other components, such as the sensors, are part of the contractor's price for the jet, said David Rockwell, another Teal Group analyst.

"Radar and sensors are almost always contractor-furnished, and are for the F-35 and F/A-18," Rockwell said. "Only very rarely will the [Defense Department] require [Government Furnished Equipment] sensors, and even the suggestion rarely gets past the RfP stage."

At $76 million, the jet comes with all of its myriad sensor and data links while adding stealth capability, which is not available on older fourth-generation aircraft like the F/A-18E/F or EA-18G.

Even at $80 million, the F-35 would offer more bang for the buck, said Richard Aboulafia, another Teal Group analyst. The stealth, sensors, range and data links give the F-35 a huge edge in combat, he said.

Even the cost of the long-in-production Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet can be stated in several ways.

A Teal Group analysis based on the 2011 budget found that the recurring flyaway cost of the Super Hornet was $60.3 million, including $40.2 million for the airframe and contractor-furnished electronics; $8.4 million for the engines and accessories; $6.2 million for contractor-furnished avionics; $1.7 million for government-furnished avionics; plus some some ancillary costs.

That's the same number given by Navy budget documents.

It doesn't include certain hardware such as the AN/ASQ-228 Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) targeting pod, jammers and decoys.

Neither the Teal Group nor the Navy matches Boeing's figures.

Boeing spokesman Philip Carder said in an email: "A Go-to-war Super Hornet costs approximately $53M in [calendar year]-10 dollars under the multi-year III contract. That does include: Engines; APG-79 [Active Electronically Scanned Array] radar; [Electronic Warfare] Suite; ATFLIR; external fuel tanks; and [Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System]."

Teal's Rockwell said he estimates the ATFLIR pod costs around $3 million with initial spares.

"The Lot 5 [full-rate production] contract seemed to award about $2.6 million per pod in December 2006 allowing an additional 20 percent for initial spares, and $2.9 million per pod in December 2007," Rockwell said. "ATFLIR has required considerable support funding, and we suspect this has been figured in to initial costs to some extent."

The Super Hornet carries a host of other hardware into battle but Rockwell said he has not yet completed his analysis of those numbers.

"I'm working on IDECM [integrated defensive electronic countermeasures], common onboard jammer and other [electronic countermeasures] right now."

Nigel Pittaway contributed to this report from Melbourne.

http://http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=7656140&c=AME&s=TOP
 

ace009

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At this time, all "pricing" is based upon "projected total production" - i.e. BS. However, you can safely assume that the price will be between $65 million to $80 million per plane in 2011 dollars if those production numbers are true. The tooling expenses being so high, the fixed costs are the real price-setter. Any change in numbers will push this number up or down (more price for less production and less price for more production).
 

Zebra

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Lockheed Completes First U.K. Joint Strike Fighter

By DAVE MAJUMDAR
Published: 22 Nov 2011 12:59

Called BK-1, the new F-35B short takeoff, vertical landing jet will have to do functional fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line. The JSF will be delivered in 2012 after a series of ground and flight tests, Lockheed said in a press release.

"This is a major milestone in the JSF Programme for U.K., and we look forward to starting to operate the first British F-35s next year," Group Captain Harv Smyth, the British JSF national deputy said in the release. "JSF is ideally suited for U.K.'s future Combat Air capability needs, since it provides a world-class 5th Generation air system, which is capable of operating from both the land and our new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier."

The British will use the F-35B for operational test and training missions. Britain was originally slated to operate the F-35B for the bulk of its JSF fleet, but after a strategic review, decided to buy the F-35C carrier variant.

Lockheed Completes First U.K. Joint Strike Fighter - Defense News
 

W.G.Ewald

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The F-35B replaces the Harrier then?
 

Zebra

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The F-35B replaces the Harrier then?
It will be F 35 C .

As per the report ....

The British will use the F-35B for operational test and training missions. Britain was originally slated to operate the F-35B for the bulk of its JSF fleet, but after a strategic review, decided to buy the F-35C carrier variant.
 

p2prada

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The F-35B replaces the Harrier then?
Not enough juice in the B, or should I say honey in the Bee.

It is not very maneuverable, drinks fuel, missing a fuel tank(replaced by big fan) and unnecessarily expensive. So, this one goes to the USMC. :p
 

Zebra

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Lockheed Martin stands by F-35 production schedule despite factory strike

By Matthew Bell
4/26/2012

Lockheed Martin has told IHS Jane's it expects no short-term affect on its production schedule for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter after thousands of employees went on strike at its factory in Fort Worth, Texas.

About 3,600 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union went on strike after midnight on 23 April following rejection of Lockheed Martin's new contract benefit proposals, said the company.

The employees work primarily on production of F-35 and F-16 aircraft at the site, which employs 14,000 people in total.

Lockheed Martin stands by F-35 production schedule despite factory strike
 

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