This thread was started after I read an article in the January issue of Air International about the US and its slight budget problem.
The article referred to the KC-X, LAS and F-35 programmes, and the degree of risk that each is under.
The highlights are as follows: (some of you may well now all this already, so sorry if I am boring you)
Budget cuts of $1.2 Trillion from Jan 2013, half of this from the defence budget.
USAF COS General Norton Schwartz priorities are KC-X and F-35, not LAS.
KC-X
Boeing has stated that it will exceed the cost ceiling by $500 Million. They will have to absorb this as it is a fixed price contract ($4.8 Billion).
There are no technical problems with the aircraft and Boeing say they are on track to assemble 7 aircraft in 2015, 12 in 2016 and 15 a year thereafter.
F-35
The 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB was supposed to have started training flight and ground crews in November 2009, this has still not started. They received their first aircraft July 2011 (08-0747). By mid October they had half a dozen aircraft, the 6th being 08-0751. However, they haven’t flown a single sortie as the Air Force Test and Evaluation boss has decreed only test pilots are allowed to fly the aircraft. Thus 08-0746, 08-0748, 08-0749 and 08-0750 are not expected to fly for another year.
Air Force ground crew are not allowed to touch the aircraft, but they can watch civilian contractors.
The 33rd were supposed to get 107 aircraft, but are now getting 59 due to noise concerns!! The F-35A is 9 db louder than an F-15 on mil T/O power, or twice as loud.
The Programme was estimated to cost $276 Billion, now it is projected to cost $623 Billion. It is the most expensive American weapon system of all time. The average cost per aircraft was $82 Million is now $95 Million, and some say it will eventually reach $195 Million or more.
In 2010 Robert Gates fired the programme manager and said that he would with-hold a $614 Million payment to Lockheed Martin. However, once the fuss had died down, no one told the Pentagon not to pay the money.
The F-35B is in greatest jeopardy as Schwartz would let it die to save the A model.
LAS
LAS is in disarray after USAF disqualified the AT-6 Texan II. Hawker Beechcraft has made 2 attempts to find out why, no response from the Air Force. The rival team of Sierra Nevada and Embraer say that they have not been informed of the program’s status.
The programme is for 20 aircraft for the Afghan Air Force to be delivered this year. The USAF hopped to obtain 100 aircraft for use by USAF Special Ops. A $17 Million request to evaluate the Super Tucano in-theatre by US Central Command (under Combat Dragon II) was rejected by lawmakers. There is also no funding to continue the AT-6 flight trials.