JSF first flight delayed again

Posted on: Aug. 22nd, 2006 || Source: janes.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

The first flight of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), originally scheduled to take place in August, could be pushed back as late as December, Brigadier General Charles Davis, Program Executive Officer for the F-35 Program Office, has told Jane's.

Gen Davis said the JSF will probably not be ready for first flight on 31 October - the most recent date to be cited by officials at prime contractor Lockheed Martin. The USD276 billion JSF programme is the most expensive acquisition in the US Department of Defense's (DoD) history.

Gen Davis estimated that a one-year delay in production could add anywhere from USD4 million to USD6 million to the cost of each aircraft, depending on the variant and the timing in the production schedule.

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