Thu, Sep 03, 2009
Would Build First 100 Engines At A Fixed Cost
GE Aviation and Rolls Royce have
pitched the Pentagon on a new business plan in which the companies
would sell th DoD the F136 alternative JSF engine under a
fixed-price contract.
Defense News reports that Russ
Sparks, GE Aviation's vice president and general manager of
military systems, and other GE and Rolls executives met Tuesday
with Shay Assad, director of the defense procurement, acquisition
policy and strategic sourcing and a top adviser to Pentagon
acquisition chief Ashton Carter, as well as Marine Corps Maj. Gen.
David Heinz, JSF program executive officer.
The plan offers the Pentagon 100 of the alternative engines
under a fixed-cost no-cost-plus contract for delivery between 2013
and 2015. Sparks said the new proposal shifts more of the initial
risk for the engine to the two companies rather than the military.
He says Pratt & Whittney's main engine for the F-35 is almost
$2 billion over budget.
F 136 Engine Test
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said as recently as Tuesday when
he toured the Lockheed Martin F-35 assembly plant that "We feel
strongly there is not a need for the second engine." (See
accompanying report)
The Obama administration has repeatedly said it does not want
the alternate engine, and has threatened to veto the defense
appropriations bill if funding for the F136 engine is included.
Leaders in both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees
support the alternative engine program.
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