The Office of the S
ecretary of Defense is closely watching the progress of the F-35 stealth fighter program and is reserving the option of making additional funding adjustments should the F-35 joint estimating team, along with other Pentagon overseers, determine that the aircraft’s development is faltering, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Wednesday. Already OSD has pumped extra billions into the program as part of Defense Secretary’s Robert Gates’ drive to solidify the F-35 as the tactical fighter of the future and bolster the aircraft’s test phase to avoid delays. Continue
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
