Davis Confident F-35 Development Will Continue
Decisions about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and F-22 Raptor
aircraft programs are expected early in President-elect Barack
Obama's administration. The F-35 program manager said Thursday he
sees strong support for the F-35 from the services, allied partners
and, so far, on Capitol Hill.
Based on initial indications and inquiries from Obama's
transition team, Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles R. Davis said he's
confident the F-35 program begun during the Clinton administration
will continue, even if budget restraints force scale-backs. Davis
made the comments here as keynote speaker at a Brookings
Institution forum, "The Joint Strike Fighter and Beyond."
"Support throughout what appears to be three administrations has
been relatively consistent," he said. "As of yet, we see no reason
that that support is going to change. There is nobody on Capitol
Hill who has said they want to cancel the Joint Strike
Fighter."
That doesn't mean, he acknowledged, that the program to develop
the next-generation strike aircraft weapon system for the Navy, Air
Force, Marine Corps and allied countries might not get scaled
back.
Davis conceded he gets many questions about the F-35's cost --
expected to be $80 million to $90 million, depending on the variant
-- and delivery schedule. And if fewer aircraft are built, each
will cost even more. "We lose two airplanes in our [fiscal 2009]
appropriation, and every other one of the airplanes being bought in
that year goes up $3 million," he said.
Another consideration, Davis noted, is the cost of maintaining
the aging legacy fleets the F-35 would replace if production is
cut.
Earlier in the day, William Lynn, Obama's deputy defense
secretary nominee, told the Senate Armed Services Committee it
would be "very difficult" for the Defense Department to keep all
its weapons systems development programs on track in tight budget
times.
Lynn said at his confirmation hearing he'll push for a speedy
Quadrennial Defense Review to set priorities through fiscal 2015,
and expects the tactical aviation force modernization issue to play
heavily in those considerations.
In written responses submitted to the committee, Lynn recognized
the capabilities of both the F-22 and F-35 aircraft -- particularly
when considered together.
"The F-22 is the most advanced tactical fighter in the world
and, when combined with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, will provide
the nation with the most capable mix of fifth-generation aircraft
available for the foreseeable future," he said.
The F-22, to replace the legacy F-15 fleet, brings "tremendous
capability" and is a critical element of the department's overall
tactical aircraft force structure, Lynn said. The F-35, on the
other hand, "will provide the foundation for the department's
tactical air force structure."
The F-35 is the first aircraft to be developed within the
Defense Department to meet the needs of three services, with three
variants being developed simultaneously.
It will replace the legacy F-16 aircraft for the Air Force and
the F/A-18 and AV-8 aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps, as well
as numerous legacy aircraft for the international partners
participating in the F-35 program, Lynn told the Senate
committee.
So the big question, he said, is determining the appropriate mix
between the two aircraft. "If confirmed, I would expect this to be
a key issue for the early strategy and program-budget reviews that
the department will conduct over the next few months," he said.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has made no secret of his
interest in reaching a decision and moving forward. During a June
visit to Langley Air Force Base, VA, he told airmen at Air Combat
Command the new administration will have to determine the proper
balance between the two aircraft.
"End the debate, make a decision and move on," Gates said.
"'Start getting stuff built' is just so important.'"
Gates told the airmen he had allocated enough money to keep the
F-22 production lines open so the next administration could make
its decision. He did not know at the time that he would be part of
that decision-making process.
Davis told the Brooking Institution audience day, "support from
all three services has never been stronger" for the F-35
program.
The Marine Corps, slated to receive the "B" variant that has a
vertical-lift capability, has been "the most vocal, avid and
fervent customer," Davis said. The Marine Corps leadership expects
the F-35 to become "the most effective air platform they have ever
had," he said. "Looking at their history of how they have used
airplanes, that is quite a bold statement."
Similarly, the Navy, to receive the aircraft's "C" variant
designed for carrier launches, "has never been more supportive of
the program," Davis said. He noted that the Navy has been "fighting
aggressively" to keep its aircraft carriers fully outfitted.
In addition, the Air Force recognizes the need for a
complementary mix of aircraft to meet its mission requirements, he
said. Its "A" variant of the F-35 will provide conventional
take-off and landing capabilities.
Meanwhile, nine partner nations continue to support the program,
with other countries considering signing on, too, Davis said. The
F-35 program represents the first time in military procurement
history that the United States has partnered with another nation to
build an aircraft from the ground up.
"We believe that the coalition that was put in place when they
signed up for this program is probably stronger than ever now,"
Davis said.
This partnership, he said, brings the concept of coalition
integration to a whole new level. In addition to funding and
developing the F-35 together, the partners plan to use a single
system to sustain it -- sharing spares and repair capabilities to
reduce costs.
"There is something very unique that Joint Strike Fighter offers
that other programs I have seen do not," he said.
The big challenge for now, Davis said, is to take advantage of
the latest manufacturing processes to get the production line
moving ahead.
"Even the manufacturing lines for some of our newest fighters,
the F-22, started in the late '80s and early '90s," he said. "We
have progressed almost two decades in manufacturing technology, but
we have never really tried it out on a full-scale
program."
(Aero-News thanks Donna Miles, American Forces Press
Service)