Responding this morning at a Capitol Hill seminar to a question about Britain’s unhappiness over the US decision to terminate one of the two F-35 engines, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said he’s not certain if the British are more concerned over the “relationship” between Rolls Royce and GE—teamed on the canceled powerplant—or workshare. If the issue is workshare, he said, it’s not such a big deal. Rolls will have “roughly the same” amount of work on either engine, said Wynne, conceding, though, that “GE may have sweetened the incentive a little bit.” He called the British threat to leave the JSF program “a tough call.” Wynne added: “We’d love to have them. We want to fly in partnership with the United Kingdom. We think they’re a great partner.”
The new defense reconciliation bill includes $7.2 billion for Air Force and Navy aviation accounts, almost half of which will buy more F-15EXs. While electronic warfare, drones, connectivity and airlift all get attention, the F-35 was conspicuously absent from the package, with no explanation given.