If the press reports are correct, Vice Adm. David Venlet, head of the Pentagon’s F-35 strike fighter program, has told House members behind closed doors that he favors competition for the F-35’s engine. Such a position would run contra to Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ resolute stance against maintaining two F-35 engine providers. DOD Buzz reports that senior House Armed Services Committee members mentioned Venlet’s alleged position in a letter sent last week to Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), chair of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense panel. The letter urged Dicks to fund the General Electric-Rolls Royce F136 engine in any forthcoming stopgap spending measure. The F136 is fighting for its survival. The Pentagon wants to stop its development and proceed solely with Pratt & Whitney’s F135 to power future F-35s. But the F136 still enjoys considerable support in Congress. Subscriber-only website Insidedefense.com first reported on the letter.
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.