Another Cost For The F-35

The U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay.

Canadian Military Would Need To Outsource Refueling for F-35s -- Defense News

VICTORIA, British Columbia — Canada will rely on either private companies or its allies for midair refueling if it decides to purchase F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to replace its CF-18 fighter aircraft.

But critics and analysts say the decision raises key issues about Canadian sovereignty and military capabilities.

Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) will not comment on the plan, but confirmation of the decision is contained in a brief passage in a government-ordered audit of Canada’s proposed F-35 buy. The 30-page audit by KMPG noted the cost of modifying the F-35s so they can be refueled in midair by Canadian aircraft is not included in the overall price tag of the fighter program because DND will not proceed with that option.

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My Comment: The range of the F-35 is approximately 1,200 - 1,400 kilometers (the combat range is half of this). The arctic is a massive area to patrol .... so yes .... refueling will be essential. Fuel is expensive .... and to not have that in the operational budget for the F-35 is raising a few eyebrows in Ottawa.

Will American Allies In Asia Still Buy The F-35?

First F-35 headed for USAF service. Wikipedia

F-35: Still On Asia’s Radar? -- Trefor Moss, The Diplomat

Several Asian countries are interested in the American F-35 JSF. But Canada’s U-turn on buying the jet won’t encourage Asian partners to sign up any time soon. Will the program survive?

For a stealth plane, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) certainly attracts a lot of criticism.

It was the future weapon system that promised so much — enough for the United States and its allies to draw up wide-eyed plans for over 3,100 JSFs while the plane was still little more than an idea. The JSF was going to guarantee air superiority for the U.S. and its partners well into the middle of this century. But ever since rising costs, technical complexities, and missed deadlines have badly hurt the machine’s credibility, to the point where some critics advocate freighting the F-35 straight to the museum before it ever enters active service.

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My Comment: The Canadian auditor's report on the F-35 program is/was a wake-up call on what are the real costs for buying and maintaining an F-35 fleet. As a result .... I am not surprised to see everyone starting to develop cold feet .... including the Americans. But unlike the Americans who are politically tied to the F-35, Canada and many other countries (Asia included) have a few options.

Is The F-35 Upending The Whole Global Arms Bazaar

An F-35 Joint Strike Fighter on display at naval yard in Maryland in January. A critical area, indeed. (Yuri Gripas / Reuters)

Super-Costly F-35s, A Global Wrecking Ball -- Brian Stewart, CBC

There is a stark lesson in the escalating cost nightmare of the F-35 fighter jets that holds more ominous implications for Washington than even for Canada's Harper government.

Quite simply, it is that allied Western nations are finding the once-vaunted high-tech American weaponry no longer politically affordable. Not in large numbers.

Canada's grief over its share of the F-35 price tag — now estimated to be almost $46 billion over 42 years — has been shared by a half-dozen countries, including Britain, Australia, Italy and the Netherlands, which have been forced to either cut back on their orders or contemplate outright cancellation.

This political fallout is upending the whole global arms bazaar. Around the world, America's big-ticket defence items are being increasingly challenged by cheaper products from Europe and now Asia as well.

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My Comment: Brian Stewart is right .... the U.S. is pricing themselves out of the market for some of their high budget items. And for countries like Canada .... the dollars involved do not make any sense. 46 billion over 42 years for 65 F-35 jets .... you gotta be kidding me.

Canadian Auditor's Report: Cost Of F-35 Program Is Now $44.8-Billion Over 42 Years

Ottawa ‘Hits Reset’ On F-35s As Official $45.8B Cost Of Jets Revealed -- National Post

The federal government has officially “hit the reset button” on its controversial efforts to replace Canada’s aging fighter-jet fleet, it was confirmed today.

Public works minister Rona Ambrose says the entire process is being reviewed in the face of a long-awaited KPMG report that warns of the soaring cost of the planned purchase of high-tech F-35 stealth fighters.

The Defence Department Wednesday pegged the full cost of Canada buying, owning, replacing and disposing of 65 F-35 stealth fighters at $44.8-billion over 42 years, according to a report tabled in the House of Commons. It’s the first time Canadians have been presented the full price the government can expect to bear all the way from the aircraft’s development through to disposal, and it far surpasses any previous figure made public.

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More News On The Canadian Auditor's Report On The F-35

Fighter jet plan 're-set' as F-35 costs soar -- CBC
Ottawa changes jet plans as audit pegs F-35 costs at $45-billion -- Globe and Mail
Canada to restart search for fighters, may still buy F-35 -- Reuters
F-35 fighter-jet deal would cost $45.8B over 42 years: audit -- CTV News
Canada widens search for fighter jet beyond F-35 -- AFP
Ottawa 'hits reset' on plan for new jet fighters; report warns of soaring costs -- Canadian Press
Canada's contentious F-35 figures in danger of falling off U.S. fiscal cliff -- CTV News
F-35 fighter jets could cost $46B, report says -- Cnews
Canada to make announcement on search for new fighter jet -- Reuters
An F-35 chronology: Canada’s involvement in the stealth fighter program -- Canada.com

My Comment: The Canadian purchase of 65 F-35s is now dead. This is a damning report, and all other countries who may be interested in purchasing the F-35 .... my recommendation is that they should read this auditor's report when it is available to the public in it's entirety. For the U.S. Congress who is responsible for the Pentagon's purse-strings .... this is a heads-up on what is (probably) the real cost of their F-35 program.

More Bad News For The F-35

Three F-35As in flight. Lockheed Martin

More Bad News For The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter? -- Nick Schwellenbach, Time

Back in March, we broke the news that the Pentagon’s oversight office was taking a gander at the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, estimated to cost potentially $1.5 trillion to develop, buy and operate over several decades (the Pentagon is so desperate to bring down the estimated cost to operate the plane they’re even hiring contractors to work on that!). The plane is the future of Air Force, Marine and Navy aviation, who plan to buy close to 2,500 of them: it’s the lone fighter in the pipeline.

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My Comment: The Canadian government had their own independent auditor look at F-35 costs ... and have come to the conclusion that over time costs will be far above than what has been promised.

Canada To Cancel F-35 Fighter Purchase

The F-35 had been the military’s plane of choice until it met with a series of problems including delays in its development and a rising price tag. Samuel King Jr./THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO

Federal Government Cancels F-35 Fighter Purchase -- Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA — The F-35 jet fighter purchase, the most persistent thorn in the federal government’s side and the subject of a devastating auditor-general’s report last spring, is dead.

Faced with the imminent release of an audit by accountants KPMG that will push the total projected life-cycle costs of the aircraft above $30 billion, the operations committee of the federal Cabinet decided to scrap the controversial sole-source program and go back to the drawing board, a source familiar with the decision said.

This occurred after Chief of the Defence Staff Thomas Lawson, while en route overseas, was called back urgently to appear before the committee, the source said.

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More News On Canada Canceling It's F-35 Fighter Purchase

Cost of buying, servicing F-35 fighter jets soars to $40B: sources -- CTV News
F-35 purchase deal appears dead -- Global News
Canada to restart fighter search, could buy F-35 -source -- Reuters
Mounting costs for F-35 fighter put Conservative government’s jet purchase in limbo -- Toronto Star
Canada cancels F-35 procurement -- Ares/Aviation Week
Tories seek alternatives to F-35 jet as cost soars to more than $40-billion -- Globe And Mail
Canada's pricetag on the F-35: $30 billion? -- SKY Talk
Canada reconsidering F-35 fighter program: reports -- AFP
DEFECTIONS HAVE BEGUN: Canada Rejects The Pricey F-35 Joint Strike Fighter -- Business Insider
Canada’s involvement in the F-35 -- The Province
Conservatives need to pull the ejector seat on F-35 -- Michael Den Tandt, The National

My Comment: The auditor's report is being released next week .... and (apparently) it is a 'bombshell'. This is Ottawa trying to get ahead of the curve .... but bottom line .... the cost of the F-35 program has ballooned to an unimaginable level. What`s my take ... this F-35 purchase is dead, and I have doubts that Canada will be buying any  F-35s in the future.

Lockheed Sees Huge Billion Dollar Liability If F-35 Program Delayed

An F-35C Lightning II test aircraft piloted by Lt. Christopher Tabert launches for the first time from the new electromagnetic aircraft launch system. The new launch system will be installed on the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear to withstand catapult launches and deck landing impacts associated with the demanding aircraft carrier environment. Initial carrier trials for the F-35C are scheduled for 2013. The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst before delivery to the fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by David Sckrabulis/Released)

Lockheed Sees $1.1 Billion Liability If F-35 Deal Delayed -- Aviation Week

U.S. weapons maker Lockheed Martin said on Thursday it faced a potential termination liability of $1.1 billion on the F-35 fighter program unless it received additional funding for production of a sixth batch of airplanes by year end.

Lockheed disclosed the potential exposure in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a day after company officials cited “great progress” on the fighter jet program.

Chief Financial Officer Bruce told analysts on Wednesday that Lockheed expected to finalize a contract with the U.S. government for a fifth batch of fighter jets in the fourth quarter, which would help free up additional funding for planes in a sixth order.

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My Comment: So much for Lockheed saying that they are making "great progress" on the F-35 fighter jet program.

Lockheed: We Are Making "Great Progress" On The F-35 Fighter Jet Program

The U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus flew the F-35C for two hours, checking instruments that will measure structural loads on the airframe during flight maneuvers. The F-35C is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control when operating in the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. Wikipedia

Lockheed Sees "Great Progress" On F-35 Fighter -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) on Wednesday said it was making "great progress" on the F-35 fighter jet program, with F-35 deliveries exceeding those of F-16 fighters and C-130J transport planes combined for the first time in the third quarter.

Chief Operating Officer Chris Kubasik, who takes over as CEO next month, said there were 94 F-35 jets in various stages of production at Lockheed plants in Fort Worth, Texas and Marietta, Georgia, plus a final assembly plant in Italy run by Alenia, a subsidiary of Finmeccanica SpA (SIFI.MI).

He said the program, restructured three times in recent years to slow production and work out lingering technical challenges, had completed nearly 1,000 test flights in total. Test flights were 25 percent ahead of plan as of September.

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My Comment: If they are seeing great progress .... why are they not being paid?

Lockheed: We Are Making "Great Progress" On The F-35 Fighter Jet Program

The U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus flew the F-35C for two hours, checking instruments that will measure structural loads on the airframe during flight maneuvers. The F-35C is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control when operating in the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. Wikipedia

Lockheed Sees "Great Progress" On F-35 Fighter -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) on Wednesday said it was making "great progress" on the F-35 fighter jet program, with F-35 deliveries exceeding those of F-16 fighters and C-130J transport planes combined for the first time in the third quarter.

Chief Operating Officer Chris Kubasik, who takes over as CEO next month, said there were 94 F-35 jets in various stages of production at Lockheed plants in Fort Worth, Texas and Marietta, Georgia, plus a final assembly plant in Italy run by Alenia, a subsidiary of Finmeccanica SpA (SIFI.MI).

He said the program, restructured three times in recent years to slow production and work out lingering technical challenges, had completed nearly 1,000 test flights in total. Test flights were 25 percent ahead of plan as of September.

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My Comment: If they are seeing great progress .... why are they not being paid?

Lockheed: We Are Making "Great Progress" On The F-35 Fighter Jet Program

The U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus flew the F-35C for two hours, checking instruments that will measure structural loads on the airframe during flight maneuvers. The F-35C is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control when operating in the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. Wikipedia

Lockheed Sees "Great Progress" On F-35 Fighter -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) on Wednesday said it was making "great progress" on the F-35 fighter jet program, with F-35 deliveries exceeding those of F-16 fighters and C-130J transport planes combined for the first time in the third quarter.

Chief Operating Officer Chris Kubasik, who takes over as CEO next month, said there were 94 F-35 jets in various stages of production at Lockheed plants in Fort Worth, Texas and Marietta, Georgia, plus a final assembly plant in Italy run by Alenia, a subsidiary of Finmeccanica SpA (SIFI.MI).

He said the program, restructured three times in recent years to slow production and work out lingering technical challenges, had completed nearly 1,000 test flights in total. Test flights were 25 percent ahead of plan as of September.

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My Comment: If they are seeing great progress .... why are they not being paid?

Is India About To Purchase The F-35?

India Cuts Order Of FGFA Fighter. F-35 On The Horizon? -- The Diplomat

Fresh tensions in Indo-Russian bilateral ties are bound to surface soon as India is set to cut its Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) order by one-third. India will now be inducting only 144 FGFA instead of the originally scheduled 214. The reduced purchase size could be to accommodate potential interest in the Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft, which had earlier been rejected by both the Indian Air Force and the Defense Ministry. Both of these organizations have denied the F-35 rumors.

Significantly, all of the 144 FGFA India now intends to purchase will be single-seater jets. Earlier, the Indian Air Force planned to procure 214 units– 166 single-seaters and 48 twin-seaters.

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My Comment: The reason why India is annoyed with Russia is over this navy contract debacle. And while this has nothing to do with the air force, it has made India look elsewhere for alternative defense suppliers in the event of further problems with Russian defense contractors.

Is India About To Purchase The F-35?

India Cuts Order Of FGFA Fighter. F-35 On The Horizon? -- The Diplomat

Fresh tensions in Indo-Russian bilateral ties are bound to surface soon as India is set to cut its Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) order by one-third. India will now be inducting only 144 FGFA instead of the originally scheduled 214. The reduced purchase size could be to accommodate potential interest in the Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft, which had earlier been rejected by both the Indian Air Force and the Defense Ministry. Both of these organizations have denied the F-35 rumors.

Significantly, all of the 144 FGFA India now intends to purchase will be single-seater jets. Earlier, the Indian Air Force planned to procure 214 units– 166 single-seaters and 48 twin-seaters.

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My Comment: The reason why India is annoyed with Russia is over this navy contract debacle. And while this has nothing to do with the air force, it has made India look elsewhere for alternative defense suppliers in the event of further problems with Russian defense contractors.

Is India About To Purchase The F-35?

India Cuts Order Of FGFA Fighter. F-35 On The Horizon? -- The Diplomat

Fresh tensions in Indo-Russian bilateral ties are bound to surface soon as India is set to cut its Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) order by one-third. India will now be inducting only 144 FGFA instead of the originally scheduled 214. The reduced purchase size could be to accommodate potential interest in the Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft, which had earlier been rejected by both the Indian Air Force and the Defense Ministry. Both of these organizations have denied the F-35 rumors.

Significantly, all of the 144 FGFA India now intends to purchase will be single-seater jets. Earlier, the Indian Air Force planned to procure 214 units– 166 single-seaters and 48 twin-seaters.

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My Comment: The reason why India is annoyed with Russia is over this navy contract debacle. And while this has nothing to do with the air force, it has made India look elsewhere for alternative defense suppliers in the event of further problems with Russian defense contractors.

One Explanation On Why F-35 Fighter Costs Have Risen

F35A Prototyp. Wikimedia

Super-Weapon: Why Have F-35 Fighter Costs Increased? -- Forbes

Nearly a decade ago, I was one of several pundits invited to discuss troubled weapon programs with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. He was concerned in particular about a new Army helicopter and Air Force fighter. It quickly became apparent that Rumsfeld knew next to nothing about either program. The one thing he did understand was their astronomical price-tags.

Rumsfeld canceled the helicopter before it ever reached production, and his successor terminated production of the fighter — the F-22 Raptor — at about half of the Air Force’s warfighting requirement. But what stuck in my mind from the meeting was the cost of the fighter Rumsfeld cited. It was way out of whack with reality. In fact, the year the F-22 was terminated, each new plane was only costing about half of what Rumsfeld said it would.

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My Comment: Let us say that I am skeptical of Loren Thompson's claims in this analysis .... government has a long history of not being very good at spending and keeping budgets.

Is The F-35 Program Moving Forward?

The U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus flew the F-35C for two hours, checking instruments that will measure structural loads on the airframe during flight maneuvers. The F-35C is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control when operating in the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. Wikipedia

Most Expensive U.S. Fighter Jet Program Moves Forward -- CNN

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been a magnet for problems for years, but the new warplane's developers are slowly making progress toward deployment.

During testing at a facility in Lakehurst, New Jersey, pilots flying the Navy's carrier variant successfully caught five arresting wires in eight attempts, according to Joe DellaVedova, a spokesman for the F-35 program office.

That's an improvement over the first tests when pilots couldn't hook the wire. But it is not good enough.

The Pentagon's most expensive fighter jet has been afflicted by delays and a ballooning cost of nearly $400 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office.

The cost per plane has doubled since the program began in 2001, according to the GAO.

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My Comment: Moving forward !?!?!?! You got to be kidding me.

Hollywood Endorses The F-35

Superman Reboot Will Be Pentagon Stealth Jet’s Silver Screen Debut -- Danger Room

Faster than a sluggish bureaucracy. More powerful than enemy radar. Able to scale tall buildings with a single engine. Up on the screen in the forthcoming Superman reboot, it’s — it’s — it’s the debut of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most expensive weapons program in human history.

Long before the family of stealth jets known as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will ever fly a combat mission, the F-35 will appear in theaters for the first time next summer in Man of Steel, Zach Snyder’s anticipated re-imagining of the Superman franchise. It’s perhaps the best cinematic debut possible for an aircraft program that’s suffered numerous budgetary and engineering woes.

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My Comment: It looks like this it is going to be a great movie .... but the story on how the F-35 got inserted into this film and how Hollywood works with the military is a great story in itself .... and I suspect that we are only getting a taste of it in this Danger Room post.

U.S. Air Force Wants To Extend The Lifespan Of Their F-15 Fleet

F-35

USAF Seeks Afterlife For F-15s -- Aviation Week

The U.S. Air Force is pushing to more than double the life of its stalwart F-15 Eagles with a series of upgrades.

“About two and a half years ago, the U.S. Air Force wanted fatigue tests on C models,” says Brad Jones, F-15 mission systems director for Boeing, which makes the aircraft.

As the F-15 fleet aircraft approached their life expectancies for total flight hours, the Air Force wanted see how far the service could delay fleet retirements, Jones said during a recent briefing with reporters.

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My Comment: I guess this is putting into action the need to have alternatives to the F-35 .... especially after harsh words were said about the F-35 program.

F-35 And F-22 Fly Together

An F-35A from Eglin Air Force Base, top, flies with an F-22 from Tyndall Air Force Base over Brooks Bridge in Fort Walton Beach on Wednesday. MASTER SGT. JEREMY LOCK / Special to the Daily News

F-35 And F-22 Fly Together For The First Time (SLIDESHOW) -- NWF Daily News

EGLIN AFB — The world’s first two fifth generation fighter jets, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II, flew together for the first time anywhere Wednesday morning.

The sortie, which lasted about an hour and a half, was part of a continued partnership between Eglin Air Force Base and Tyndall Air Force Base.

Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, commander of the 58th Fighter Squadron at the 33rd Fighter Wing, took off in his F-35A variant from Eglin first. He met up with Col. Charles Corcoran, commander with the 325th Operations Group, who flew in an F-22 Raptor from the 43rd Fighter Squadron, at Tyndall’s Compass Lake airspace north of the base.

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WNU Editor: The slideshow starts here. On another matter ... one wonders if this is how the F-35 is being built? 

Hat Tip: Eric Palmer Blog

Blunt Talk From The Likely New Leader Of The Joint Strike Fighter Program

F-35 Program's Relationship With Lockheed 'Worst I've Ever Seen,' Says Gen. Bogdan -- Aol Defense

NATIONAL HARBOR: The likely new leader of the Joint Strike Fighter program opened what looks to be a new era -- at least rhetorically -- today offering large dollops of what he called "straight talk" about both Lockheed Martin's performance and the government's.

Maj. Gen. Christopher Bogdan made his very pointed and detailed remarks at the Air Force Association's annual conference here, speaking to an audience of several hundred, including representatives of foreign partners, allies, industry representatives, and blue suiters.

"Here comes a little bit of straight talk," he said at the top of his early afternoon remarks at AFA.

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My Comment: This is a very blunt talk that I suspect is ruffling a number of "feathers". Hmmmmm .... maybe he does not want the job?

More News On The F-35 Program

Nominated F-35 Program Head Raps Relations With Lockheed -- Defense News
Pentagon tells Lockheed to shape up on F-35 fighter -- Reuters
F-35's biggest problems: software and bad relationships -- Foreign Policy
U.S. Air Force Slams Lockheed Martin on F-35 Program -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Incoming F-35 boss says relationship with Lockheed and others 'worst I've ever seen' -- Sky Talk
Top F-35 official warns on software breakdowns, relationship crisis -- Flight Global
Incoming JSF Chief Targets Bad Relationship With Lockheed, Partners -- Aviation Week
No more big cash infusions for F-35 cost overruns- Air Force -- Reuters

More Questions Being Raised On The F-35's Testing Program

F-35

Pentagon's Testing Czar Questions F-35 Program's OTE Plan -- Aol Defense

WASHINGTON: The head of Operational Test and Evaluation tells the Joint Strike Fighter program in a memo that he will not approve a comprehensive testing plan for the aircraft, raising significant questions about the F-35's progress. The memo may invite close congressional scrutiny as well.

Michael Gilmore wrote an Aug. 21 memo to Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, Vice Adm. David Venlet, head of the JSF program office, and several other senior military testing officials. Gilmore's office was created by Congress and professional staff pay close attention to anything coming from it.

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My Comment: Here is some sound advice from an F-35 critic.