Tom Burbage, Lockheed’s F-35 VP, says partner countries are assessing their future needs just as the US Defense Department is doing with its Quadrennial Defense Review. And, he notes that the partners are “anxiously awaiting” the results of the QDR to see if the JSF will be delayed, reduced, or scrapped outright. It would be a blow to the allies if JSF is eliminated, he said. “They are counting on this airplane” for their future defense needs, Burbage asserted.
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.
