The Engine That Would Not Go Quietly: General Electric and Rolls Royce continue to push to reverse the Pentagon plan to cancel the alternate F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine. They and critics who fear downsizing to a single engine producer poses too much risk are working Capitol Hill. The political newspaper, The Hill, reports that a number of lawmakers plan “to grill” Pentagon officials over the decision. And, the list of Senators who have expressed concern now includes Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), powerful chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.