The House-Senate conference report for the 2007 defense appropriations bill likely has derailed calls for a delay to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, and—much to the Pentagon’s dismay—it would resurrect the alternate engine program. The House already has passed the spending bill; the Senate was expected to follow suit this week. Despite a push in the Senate to delay F-35 production—fronted primarily by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)—conferees agreed to fund two F-35s in 2007 and provide advance funding for 12 in 2008. (JSF program manager, Brig. Gen. Charles Davis, had said a delay would significantly increase unit cost.) Conferees also added $340 million to “continue developing a second source for JSF aircraft engines.” And, they went one step further, directing DOD to include second engine funding in its 2008 budget request.
The program executive officers for some of the Air Force’s largest acquisition management organizations are struggling to deal with an exodus of senior talent and experienced civilian staff, three of them told an industry conference.
