Decisions Loom for Joint Strike Fighter Program, Support Remains High

WASHINGTON --- Decisions about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and F-22 Raptor aircraft programs are expected early in President-elect Barack Obamas administration.>> The F-35 program manager said yesterday he sees strong support for the F-35 from the services, allied partners and, so far, on Capitol Hill.>> Based on initial indications and inquiries from Obamas transition team, Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles R. Davis said hes confident the F-35 program begun during the Clinton administration will continue, even if budget restraints force scale-backs. Davis made the comments here as keynote speaker at a Brookings Institution forum, The Joint Strike Fighter and Beyond.>> Support throughout what appears to be three administrations has been relatively consistent, he said. As of yet, we see no reason that that support is going to change. There is nobody on Capitol Hill who has said they want to cancel the Joint Strike Fighter.>> That doesnt mean, he acknowledged, that the program to develop the next-generation strike aircraft weapon system for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and allied countries might not get scaled back.>> Davis conceded he gets many questions about the F-35s cost -- expected to be $80 million to $90 million, depending on the variant -- and delivery schedule. And if fewer aircraft are built, each will cost even more. (Emphasis addedEd.]>> We lose two airplanes in our [fiscal 2009] appropriation, and every other one of the airplanes being bought in that year goes up $3 million, he said.>> Another consideration, he said, is the cost of maintaining the aging legacy fleets the F-35 would replace if production is cut.