Pentagon’s F-35 Cost Rises 10% to $485 Billion to Fix Overheating Engines

[rangerrebew]

Pentagon’s F-35 Cost Rises 10% to $485 Billion to Fix Overheating Engines
Story by Tony Capaccio • 23h

(Bloomberg) -- The Pentagon’s cost to develop and produce Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 has risen almost 10% to about $485 billion now that money needed for engine improvements has been included in the official estimate for the costliest US weapons system.

The previous $442 billion estimate for the fighter jet was changed officially earlier this year, but that wasn’t disclosed until the Defense Department’s latest Selected Acquisition Report assessing the program was posted online recently.
 
The majority of the increase stems from the expected costs for the upgrade of the plane’s engine core and improvements to its “power thermal management,” which “is a high-priority initiative,” the Defense Department’s F-35 program office said in a statement.  Those are needed to provide improved cooling for more capable software and for the plane’s radar and other components.

The current cooling system requires “the engine to operate beyond its design parameters,” the Government Accountability Office reported last year, as “the extra heat is increasing the wear on the engine, reducing its life.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/pentagon-s-f-35-cost-rises-10-to-485-billion-to-fix-overheating-engines/ar-AA1qIr3u#:~:text=The%20Pentagon%E2%80%99s%20cost%20to%20develop%20and%20produce%20Lockheed,official%20estimate%20for%20the%20costliest%20US%20weapons%20system.

[SZonian]

Pratt & Whitney...the "gift" that keeps on giving.

As a prior service engine troop, I worked GE and P&W...hated P&W, their engines and Field Service Reps were/are garbage.
GE almost always did a good job with theirs and their Field Service Reps were top notch.

[Hoodat]

Reason #148 why 'one-size-fits-all' defense procurement doesn't work.