Gates assures no more F-35 cost, schedule woes

March 25, 2010 at 3:18 am | Posted in Aviation Law Current Event | Leave a comment

by Joanne Irene Gabrynowicz with the blog faculty

Source: Government Executive

By Megan Scully

Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed confidence Wednesday that the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is on track and said he does not expect more cost increases or schedule delays for the stealthy jets.

“There are no guarantees in any of this, but based on everything that I’ve seen, I have confidence that the range of cost estimates and timing that is being described and presented to me today will in fact be executed,” Gates told the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Gates said his confidence stems from a thorough review of the program by Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter, as well as the decision to rely on the independent Joint Estimating Team’s assessment of the F-35 rather than the program office’s estimates on cost and schedule. More…