Navy, Air Force Maneuver To Save JSF Alternate Engine

Posted on: Jan. 6th, 2006 || Source: aviationweek.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

In a move that echoes past budget maneuvering, the U.S. Navy says it can't afford to keep developing an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The U.S. Air Force, staring at shouldering the $3.4 billion F136 engine program alone, at a cost of about $400 million per year, is expected to go along with the move. Air Force planners say it's a better alternative than paying for it by delaying the F-35 program or cutting production totals of its conventional takeoff and landing variant of the aircraft. Veterans of many defense budget fights say it is a calculated move to draw lawmakers into adding money once the document gets to Capitol Hill.

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