The Pentagon is not going to reduce the cost of maintaining F-35 fighters in the coming years

On Monday, the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Armed Services, Adam Smith, exercised his right to amend the 2022 defense budget cuts. Specifically, this right allows you to determine how many F-35 fighter-bombers can be bought or serviced by the Pentagon.

In return, it was proposed to buy more aircraft of other classes.

We can buy more aircraft if you reduce your maintenance costs. Otherwise, the costs will exceed our capabilities.

- A. Smith explained.

In particular, if the military fails to achieve the cost of maintaining F-35 aircraft in the amount of $ 4,1 million per year, then the services will not be able to purchase the planned number of combat vehicles. For comparison, in the 2020 financial year, an average of about 35 million was spent on the maintenance of an F-8 fighter.

However, an amendment to the US Defense Budget Act was passed on Wednesday, according to which the restrictions were postponed for a couple of years. They were supposed to take effect in fiscal 2026, and now the US Air Force, US Navy and US Marine Corps can meet the required spending figures for the F-35 until 2028. Thus, the Pentagon is not going to reduce the cost of maintaining the fifth generation F-35 fighters in the coming years.

Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, has the opportunity to waive restrictions, if necessary and the requirements of unit commanders to purchase additional F-35 models. This will mean meeting the requirements of the national strategy.

Democratic Representative Mark Veasey, who represents Fort Worth, Texas, where Lockheed Martin makes F-35 fighters, suggested that Austin exercise this right.

The International Aerospace Engineers and Workers Association - a union representing aerospace workers such as those who make the F-35 - has sent a letter to committee members supporting the amendment.

Tens of thousands of union members across the country are proud to manufacture and service the F-35 and its components

- said the President of the International Association Robert Martinez.

These high-quality defense aerospace jobs are of prime importance to the Engine Driver Association, our aerospace industry members, and the economic security of the United States.

Martinez added.

Comments

[Mavrikiy]

The Pentagon is not going to in the coming years reduce maintenance costs of F-35 fighters

What for? The machine is at hand, and you can increase ...

[askort154]

Mavrikiy .....Why? The machine is at hand, and you can increase ...

There, the bearings already need to be changed. And this is an expensive and lengthy process.
They are afraid that while they will change, the world will switch to the Chinese yuan and the Russian ruble.

[kutuz]

Beggars consider other people's money.

[knn54]

And what is there to think about, the more planes, the lower the cost of servicing one fighter.

[rocket757]

When there is a process of increasing volumes, the problem of AGING, previously released copies, emerges.
It seems like they started to produce it recently, but, with intensive operation, the wear and tear is increased, and the safety margin of new / modern technology is different. The more complicated it is, the more expensive maintenance and repairs are, essno.
A natural question, with large production volumes, everything should / can fall in price !!! Is this so, in this particular case ???

[rocket757]

The Pentagon is not going to reduce the cost of maintaining F-35 fighters in the coming years

... That's okay, BUT, the development of the F35 program requires additional and not small investments, because much has not been done !!! This is about what was announced by the developers and the military who support them.
I do not know how correctly I understood what is stated, but it is very similar to LIVING MODE ??? not development!
However, specialists know better.

[Flooding]

Tens of thousands of union members across the country are proud to manufacture and service the F-35 and its components

Well Duc still.
How not to be proud, realizing your involvement in such an important and necessary cause as maintaining order and democracy throughout the world.
They, ordinary Americans, bear a piece of responsibility for the whole world.
Already goosebumps from such a thought.

[APASUS]

The Americans got into a tough cycle. It looks like the plane is problematic, but it's too late, you can't refuse funding. You will immediately be charged with undermining combat readiness.

[Light]

And even more so, Lokhkid will not bring the penguin to mind and reduce the cost of its maintenance, this is not why it was all started. After they were threatened with the closure of the program, if the price of the aircraft did not decrease, the guys logically approached the matter and drank from the other side ..

[voyaka uh]

Next year, the production of the next upgrade of the F-35 begins.
- Block 4.
Maintenance costs and the cost of the aircraft have been reduced in recent years.
Up to 85 million apiece. Cheaper than all competitors.
But the new upgrade will increase costs again. Therefore, the Air Force did not agree with the requirement
Congress.

[Light]

The fact of the matter is that only the cost of the plane was reduced, so as not to close the shop. But you have to have money, so the cost of a flight hour, the cost of repair and maintenance will be exorbitant. And they are not going to fix numerous jambs, why, if it is better to make operating restrictions and weld on repairs. My IMHO, that everything will remain so, and the project itself was conceived not to get a super-duper plane, but, first of all, for the sake of a banal drank of the budget.

[voyaka uh]

"and the project itself was not conceived to obtain a super-duper aircraft" ///
----
Were going to create a massive single-engine fighter-bomber
to replace the F-16 and F-18. A workhorse. And they created it.
Not without flaws, of course. But it is snapping up in the world.

Budget?
The budget is American, the plane is created in America, American
workers and engineers. Profit is also America.

It is commendable that a Russian is so worried about how much taxes an ordinary American will pay.
for the fact that the American plane is assembled in America.
For the solidarity of taxpayers!

[Light]

You don't need to be an American to understand what the American military-industrial complex is, and Lockheed Martin in particular, with all the corruption and the heating of more promising projects of competitors, in order to then repulse your grandmothers many times over. This is business and nothing personal. All this does not bother me that much or worries me, I just express my point of view. I do not argue that they have money, and this is a lot of money, as well as a desire to grab more of it. Well, the future of the penguin will show time, whether they will solve the problem with engines, coating, whether the originally conceived amount will be riveted, it's just interesting, in any case these are their problems.

[Reserve buildbat]

"Tens of thousands of union members across the country are proud to manufacture and service the F-35 and its components."
Here I will agree to 100%. The flightless penguin itself is worth like an aircraft carrier, service and parts cost as cast from platinum. Accordingly, "tens of thousands of trade union members" eat and drink deliciously due to endless work on a piece of scrap metal, advertised as a "000th generation fighter", which for some reason does not fly, does not fire a cannon, requires an engine replacement almost after each departure and is unable to go to supersonic for more than a couple of minutes.