F-35 Costs Skyrocket With Upgrades
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economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.
Lockheed’s costly F-35 to be billions costlier, reports Bloomberg. The increase reflects cost estimates for a major set of upgrades in upcoming modifications. The estimated total price for research and procurement increased by $22 billion in current dollars adjusted for inflation. The estimate for operating and support the fleet over more than six decades grew by almost $73 billion to $1.196 trillion.
After seeing the Air Force $8 billion budget request included eight F-15s next year and 72 in the next four years, Boeing began ramping up its F-15 production line near St. Louis, reports C4ISRNET. The move is a surprise to many since the US military has moved toward stealth fighters, such as Lockheed Martin’s F-35, in recent years.
A new study has few conclusions as to why so fewer women than men remain in the Coast Guard, reports Navy Times. The new study does offer several reasons why they want to get out.
A new study suggests voice analysis software can help detect post-traumatic stress disorder, reports Reuters.
House lawmakers will hear directly from victims of military medical mistakes next week, reports Military Times. Congress will be considering whether changes should be made to rules regarding malpractice cases against the DoD.
China won’t find lost F-35 stealth fighter first, says the Pentagon. Air Force Times reports the US and Japanese militaries dismiss the possibility of China finding Japan’s downed F-35 before they do.
Stars and Stripes reports the Navy ended early training exercises with Sri Lanka in wake of the bombings that killed hundreds Easter morning at public buildings, churches and hotels across Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka security brief warned of attacks on churches, reports The Associated Press. Sri Lanka’s health minister held up a copy of the intelligence report while describing its contents, spurring questions about what Sri Lanka police had done to protect the public from an attack.
Talks between the US and Taliban remain risky but necessary, reports USNI News, from an expert panel about political settlement to end decades of war, a leading expert in South Asia security affairs says.
The Army is looking to industry to develop portable ground robots and drones to map underground tunnels using, reports Army Times.
The Pentagon is reviewing instructions to give troops following the recent incident between US soldiers and Mexican military officials, reports Washington Examiner, after Mexican soldiers with rifles detained, disarmed, and questioned the US troops. One soldier’s Beretta M9 service pistol was taken from him and temporarily confiscated.
The State Department readies announcement of US sanctions to hit all countries that do not end imports of Iranian oil. This is an escalation of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign, which seeks to force Tehran to end its illicit behavior around the world, reports The Washington Post. Last November, the State Department issued 180-day waivers to eight countries to give them more time to find alternative sources of oil. Now, their time is running out.
Navy’s P-3C Orion embarks on its final deployment, reports Navy Times, after a 50 years of missions spanning the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State, countless search and rescue efforts, and delivering a network of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data.
Marine Times reports the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating a report of a recording device found in a women’s bathroom aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock Arlington.
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: April 22, 2019.
Herman Cain withdraws from consideration for Federal Reserve seat, reports NBC News. Four Republican senators came out against the nomination, making confirmation of the former GOP presidential candidate doubtful.
Contracts:
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $117,101,550 modification (P00004) to a firm-fixed-price delivery order (N0001918F0584) previously placed against basic ordering agreement N00019-14-G-0020. This modification provides for air vehicle initial spares to include a deployment spares package, afloat spares package, and associated consumables to support air vehicle delivery schedules for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft in support of the Air Force and Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (24.4 percent); El Segundo, California (9.1 percent); Owego, New York (8.6 percent); Samlesbury, United Kingdom (7.2 percent); Cheltenham, United Kingdom (6.2 percent); Nashua, New Hampshire (5.8 percent); Torrance, California (5.5 percent); Orlando, Florida (4.9 percent); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (3.7 percent); San Diego, California (3.6 percent); Phoenix, Arizona (3.1 percent); Melbourne, Florida (3.1 percent); Irvine, California (2.5 percent); North Amityville, New York (2.4 percent); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (2.2 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (2.2 percent); Papendrect, The Netherlands (1.9 percent); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (1.8 percent); and Alpharetta, Georgia (1.8 percent). Work is expected to be completed in August 2023. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Air Force and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $117,101,550 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Air Force ($88,383,883; 75 percent); and Marine Corps ($28,717,667; 25 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Affigent LLC, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $12,215,117 firm-fixed-price contract to provide subscription software maintenance for Oracle Java Standard Edition software. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Herndon, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 22, 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $12,215,117 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-19-F-0391).
