U.S. partners on F-35 concerned over plane costs, cuts

Posted on: Mar. 28th, 2006 || Source: aimpoints.hq.af.mil | E-mail Article | Print Article

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Partner nations in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program are concerned that U.S. cuts will drive up their purchasing costs, an Australian diplomat said Monday.

Ambassador Dennis Richardson said Australia generally is pleased with the Pentagon's management of the $256 billion program. The F-35, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), is envisioned as a replacement for thousands of aging fighters around the world.

But Richardson cautioned that the U.S. needs to consider its allies when making big decisions. He sympathized with U.K. concerns about technology transfer, and also expressed concern about U.S. budget decisions.

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