Lockheed Fights Proposed JSF Delay

Source URL: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,114619,00.html
Posted at: http://www.air-attack/com/news/news_article/2094

As lawmakers head into negotiations on fiscal year 2007 defense spending legislation, defense giant Lockheed Martin is peddling a compromise procurement plan for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter on Capitol Hill. If adopted, Lockheed's plan would nix a Senate-led effort to delay initial production of the fighter by one year, according to the company's top program official.


The plan would call upon Congress to fully fund production of four conventional takeoff-and-landing (CTOL) JSF variants in FY-07, which would make up the first stage of the program's low-rate initial production (LRIP) phase.

The second part of the new plan, as proposed, would give the Pentagon long-lead funding in FY-08 to begin work on six Air Force-specific CTOL and six Marine Corps short takeoff-and vertical landing (STOVL) variants, according to Lockheed's Executive Vice President and JSF Program Manager Tom Burbage.

Burbage outlined company's alternative procurement plan for the international, tri-service fighter during a Sept. 20 media roundtable in Arlington, VA.

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