Lockheed Says The Most Expensive Weapon Ever Will Be Combat Ready Next Year

[xchrom]

http://www.businessinsider.com/r-f-35-jet-combat-ready-next-year-despite-engine-fix-lockheed-2014-9


An F-35 Lightning II completes a series of night flights, testing the ability to fly the jet safely in instrument meteorological conditions where the pilot has no external visibility references.

OSLO (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin expects the cost of the F-35 fighter jet to drop to its target level by 2019 and still sees the first version of the aircraft combat ready by mid-2015, despite an engine fire which still needs a fix, the firm said on Thursday.

The F-35 is the most expensive weapons system ever built.

A decision by South Korea on Wednesday to order 40 F-35s for around $7 billion further lowers the program's cost and Lockheed sees the per-unit cost down to $80-$85 million by 2019 from the current rate of around $115 million, Jeff Babione, Lockheed's deputy general manager for the F-35 program told reporters in Oslo.

Lockheed, engine maker Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp <utx.n>, and other suppliers are investing heavily to drive down the program's projected $400 billion cost, making it more affordable for cash-strapped governments looking to buy over 3,100 aircraft over the next decades.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/r-f-35-jet-combat-ready-next-year-despite-engine-fix-lockheed-2014-9#ixzz3EKF3OwZ6

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Imagine what else the planet could do with $400 billion.

[hatrack]

2. So when ISIS scrambles its fighters and bombers for the big attack . . .

We'll be ready!

Right?

[leftstreet]

11. LOL

[CaptainTruth]

3. I'm certain this could have been done at much, MUCH lower cost.

Perhaps we can convince Elon Musk to form another company & get into the weapons business?

[AngryAmish]

4. Tony Stark

[Initech]

7. Iron Man or Jericho?

[deaniac21]

5. The USS Gerald R. Ford

cost 13 billion.

[malthaussen]

6. I'll believe it when I see it.

And hey, when do we start on the F-36?

-- Mal

[Erose999]

10. Already on the drawing board. FA-XX

[Orrex]

8. Some nations might look at that dollar amount and think "Mars Orbiter"

But here in the good ol' U.S. of A...

[BlindTiresias]

9. The best part is

it is actually an inferior aircraft to the stuff the Russians and Chinese are putting out.