Friday, November 15, 2013

F-35: Engine prices keep coming down ... as expected

This one flew under the radar apparently.  It wasn't bad news so I suppose it simply bobbed to the surface for a day and then sank back into the media's vast ocean of inanity.   Anyway:
The Pentagon on Wednesday announced it had finalized a $1.1 billion contract with Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp, to build 38 engines for a sixth batch of F-35 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp.
The Pentagon's F-35 program office and Pratt said the two sides signed a $508 million contract modification on Wednesday. Added to previously awarded preliminary contracts, that brought the total value of the contract to $1.1 billion.
The contract covers 38 F135 engines, as well as program management, engineering support, sustainment and spare parts.
"This agreement represents a significant milestone for the F-35 program, and reflects the execution of cost reduction initiatives shared by the government and Pratt & Whitney," the program office and Pratt said in a joint statement.
And so it goes.  Costs continue to come down and the testing continues to go well, much to the chagrin of the critics who have been strangely silent for a while.

Graff

5 comments:

  1. The Pentagon claims that the costs continue to come down, but that requires belief in Pentagon PR because we're not told what the costs are. There have been GAO audits, which say that costs are rising, but oddly enough no costs have ever been reported.

    One thing we do know is that the F135 engine is still being developed and isn't ready for full production. On June 10, 2013 P&W was awarded a $648,769,404 contract mod for F135 System Development and Demonstration. "Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn. (72 percent); Bristol, United Kingdom (22 percent); and Indianapolis, Ind. (6 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2016." --Three more years, or twenty years after the first JSF development contract was signed.

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    1. So let me get this straight... when F-35 supporters cite graphs, SAR reports, and *actual evidence* about the aircraft, we are relying on "wishful thinking," but when you choose to ignore all evidence that goes against your claim that there's no evidence costs are coming down (SARs etc), you're not?

      Wow, what amazing selective reading skills you have! Your ability to block out any evidence that doesn't fit your preconceived opinion is truly astounding!

      Delete
  2. You could, I don;'t know, read contract announcements, SARs, and Budget docs.

    Either that or continue to believe that Up is Down, Black is White, and every piece of positive F-35 news is actually Spin and PR lies.

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  3. It's okay, you can admit you don't know F-135 price. Neither does Bogdan, which is why it wasn't reported.

    Why?

    Pratt has consistently declined to share cost-per-unit, citing competitive reasons.
    http://www.defensenews.com/article/20131023/DEFREG02/310230033/

    and the government management system is no help--

    The Pentagon’s Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) has imposed a 5% withholding against future billings for Pratt & Whitney on the F135 engine...for not being in compliance with their earned value management system [EVMS]

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    Replies
    1. So, apparently, the fact that the cost of the F-35 has been decreasing and the cost of the F-135 is unknown means that the F-35 costs more than $200 million per aircraft, and the cost is increasing.

      Logic. You lack it.

      Delete