Adm. Michael Mullen says the decision to terminate the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s alternate engine program—a decision that prompted Congress to hold special hearings this week—was a joint decision between the Navy and the Air Force. (OK, but according to Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, the idea originated with the Navy.) Mullen believes that technological advances obviate the need for an alternate engine source. He maintains that the reliability and economics added up to a savings of approximately $2 billion—the amount awarded to the alternate team of GE-Rolls Royce.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
