Mattis orders separate reviews of F-35, Air Force One programs
SUMMARY
Defense Secretary James Mattis has ordered separate reviews of the Pentagon's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Air Force One programs in hopes of restructuring and reducing program costs, an official announced Friday.
In two memorandums signed and effective immediately, Mattis said Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work will "oversee a review that compares the F-35C and F/A-18E/F operational capabilities and assess the extent that the F/A-18E/F improvements [an advanced Super Hornet] can be made in order to provide a competitive, cost effective fighter aircraft alternative," according to a statement from Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.
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For the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program, known as Air Force One, Mattis said Work's review should "identify specific areas where costs can be lowered," such as "autonomous operations, aircraft power generation, environmental conditioning [cooling], survivability, and military [and] civilian communication capabilities," the memo said.
The memos didn't specify if the review will reduce the planned number of aircraft.
"This is a prudent step to incorporate additional information into the budget preparation process and to inform the secretary's recommendations to the president regarding critical military capabilities," Davis said in an email statement.
"This action is also consistent with the president's guidance to provide the strongest and most efficient military possible for our nation's defense, and it aligns with the secretary's priority to increase military readiness while gaining full value from every taxpayer dollar spent on defense," he said.
Both the F-35 stealth fighter and Air Force One presidential aircraft acquisition programs have been in President Donald Trump's crosshairs in recent weeks.
Trump has criticized the high cost of the $4 billion Air Force One being developed by Boeing and the nearly $400 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter being manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp.
On Dec. 6, Trump tweeted "cancel order!" in reference to the Air Force One program. He brought up the issue again during a Dec. 16 speech in Pennsylvania, and also called the F-35 program a "disaster" with its cost overruns.
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"Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!" Trump tweeted on Dec. 22.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is expected to cost nearly $400 billion in development and procurement costs to field a fleet of 2,457 single-engine fighters — and some $1.5 trillion in lifetime sustainment costs, according to Pentagon figures. It's the Pentagon's single most expensive acquisition effort.
Trump has met with Lockheed Martin Corp.'s CEO Marillyn Hewson on multiple occasions and last week with Boeing's CEO Dennis Muilenburg.
The company heads have vowed — in what they said were productive conversations with the president — to drive down costs on both programs.
"We made some great progress on simplifying requirements for Air Force One, streamlining the process, streamlining certification by using commercial practices," Muilenburg said just days after Trump met with Hewson.
"All of that is going to provide a better airplane at a lower cost, so I'm pleased with the progress there," he said. "And similarly on fighters, we were able to talk about options for the country and capabilities that will, again, provide the best capability for our warfighters most affordably."
