Navy F-35 ‘Risk Assessment’ Warned Of Crash Risk, Cost Growth
Eric Palmer | May 5, 2010 at 9:50 pm | Categories: F-35, defect-by-design | URL: http://wp.me/pwELO-19i insidedefense.com
This is a pretty good read. (subscription from insidedefense.com) This 6 month old Navy input on the F-35 JSF program shows why Gates decided to change course with the program. When you read it, you will find that those that are stating that there is no technical risks with the F-35 program are either mentally affected, poorly advised or are lying.
Vice Adm. David Venlet was tapped by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to head the Joint Strike Fighter program after his staff produced a “risk assessment” of the F-35 program last year warning that the JSF aircraft faced an increased chance of crashing during training, in addition to the risk of runaway costs that might impact other modernization efforts, according to an October 2009 briefing and military officials.
The briefing also cautioned against continued reliance on prime contractor Lockheed Martin to manage risk.
Prepared by Rear Adm. Donald Gaddis, assistant commander for research and engineering at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), the previously unreported Oct. 29, 2009 briefing — excerpts of which were obtained by InsideDefense.com — offers an unusual critique of both the Pentagon’s largest acquisition program and the JSF Joint Program Office, responsible for managing the F-35 program, by a Defense Department customer.
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