Pentagon Mulls JSF Delay

Source URL: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,110679,00.html
Posted at: http://www.air-attack/com/news/news_article/2005

The Navy and Marine Corps want to delay fielding of the Joint Strike Fighter by more than a year, according to Pentagon officials.

If approved, the move would bump planned acquisition of 35 stealthy new fighters beyond the Navy's proposed new six-year spending plan, freeing up more than $1 billion between fiscal years 2008 and 2013 that officials hope to redirect to other naval priorities, these officials said.

The Navy and Marine Corps' fiscal year 2008 to 2013 program objective memorandum, submitted to the Office of the Secretary of Defense earlier this month, includes changes to the JSF program that reflect an agreement between the sea services to postpone initial operating capability by 14 months, said Pentagon officials.

This bid, which is subject to review -- and possible modification or even reversal -- by OSD, would delay fielding of the first Marine Corps JSF squadron from 2011 to 2012 and the Navy and Air Force variants would shift from 2013 to 2014, officials familiar with the spending proposal said.

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