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| Science & Technology |
| Delays for Pentagon's most expensive weapon system getting worse, at $200 billion over budget |
| 2024-05-29 |
| [JustTheNews] The contractors behind the Pentagon's most expensive weapon system continue to deliver engines and aircraft late, a trend that has worsened in recent years, according to a new report. The U.S. Government Accountability Office, which serves as the research arm of Congress, found that late deliveries were partially caused by manufacturing issues and a shortage of parts for the U.S. Department of Defense's F-35 Lightning II, a stealth strike fighter. The F-35 Lightning II is the most advanced and costly weapon system in the U.S. arsenal. The Pentagon estimates the F-35 program will cost over $2 trillion to buy, operate, and sustain over its lifetime. The program was already behind schedule. "The program, however, is also more than a decade delayed and has cost $209 billion more than originally planned," according to the GAO report. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the F-35 aircraft and Pratt & Whitney is the prime contractor for the engine. The F-35 program completed initial operational testing and achieved full-rate production in March 2024. Nearly everything the two contractors delivered in 2023 was late. "The program continues to experience production delays," according to the report. "Specifically, the contractors delivered all engines and almost all aircraft late in 2023." Pratt & Whitney did not deliver any engines on time in 2023. Most were more than two months late, on average. In 2022, the average delay was one month late. Defense Contract Management Agency officials said hardware issues were responsible for late engine deliveries over the past year. Late engine deliveries have yet to affect aircraft production due to an engine inventory buffer, according to the report. Lockheed Martin delivered 91% of aircraft late in 2023. That's the highest proportion of late deliveries over the past six years and is almost double the percentage of late deliveries in 2022, according to the report. The report cited a shortage of parts and manufacturing issues, among other problems. The cost of the F-35 program has increased. Specifically, sustainment cost estimates have increased 44%, from about $1.1 trillion in 2018 to about $1.58 trillion in 2023. One reason for the increase in cost estimates is the extension of the aircraft's service life. The Pentagon plans to use the F-35 through 2088. [JustTheNews] Related: U.S. Government Accountability Office: 2024-05-15 REPORT: Funds for Ukraine Diverted to Fake Companies. U.S. Government Accountability Office: 2024-03-12 Contract losses have defense contractors saying no to Pentagon, their biggest customer U.S. Government Accountability Office: 2023-10-02 Pentagon misses deadline for barracks privatization report amid serious health problems Related: Lockheed Martin: 2024-05-01 Why the US military-industrial complex is unable to produce weapons Lockheed Martin: 2024-04-27 About the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine Lockheed Martin: 2024-04-16 Lockheed Martin has been awarded a massive $17 billion contract to develop the next generation of interceptors that would guard the United States against ICBM attack Related: Pratt : 2023-04-09 Re-Engined B-52 To Be Designated The B-52J Pratt : 2023-01-15 ATF Final Rule: Stabilizer Brace Owners Have 120 Days to Register Them Pratt : 2022-12-19 U.S. Defense Contractors Sponsor D.C. Party for Ukrainian Forces Amid Ongoing War Related: F-35 Lightning II 09/18/2023 F-35 jet reported missing by authorities after pilot ejects during 'mishap': Officials F-35 Lightning II 03/11/2023 The F-35 is about to become a POWERHOUSE via the 15 billion dollar upgrade F-35 Lightning II 04/23/2021 U.S. excludes Turkey from F-35 program |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #8 The whole "Wonder Weapons" feel to our outrageously expensive defense hardware reminds me of the quote often attributed to Stalin. "Quantity has it's own form of quality." The MIC wants to sell next-gen Maseratti's for every weapons need when most of the time, a good, solid Ford F150 fits the needs for the next land war, perhaps far closer to home than anyone used to imagine? |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2024-05-29 18:43 |
| #7 Musk needs to be put in charge of DoD contracting. Lockheed Martin and the MIC would go into immediate coronary arrest. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2024-05-29 07:14 |
| #6 Columbia class SSBN and Sentinel ICBM programs are also behind schedule. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-05-29 07:10 |
| #5 unmanned M113s 'Beware of booby-trapped robotic tanks': Unmanned vehicles in Rafah sparks Palestinian imagination Wasn't that happening in the Ukraine? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2024-05-29 06:51 |
| #4 An F-35B enroute from Fort Worth, Texas, to Edwards Air Force Base, California, crashed after a refueling stop at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The pilot safely ejected. Safety is our priority, and we will follow appropriate investigation protocol. - Lindsay Wilson, Lockheed Martin - cite. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2024-05-29 06:41 |
| #3 ...The trillion-dollar whoopsie. And we lost another one yesterday; fortunately the pilot got out. Mike |
| Posted by: MikeKozlowski 2024-05-29 06:19 |
| #2 Military aircraft crashes at Albuquerque airport in New Mexico |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2024-05-29 05:24 |
| #1 IDF is using unmanned M113s in Gaza - report |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2024-05-29 01:24 |