Comments on: LockMar Defends JSF Against JET

By: Michael DeKort

Michael DeKort — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:13:32 +0000

There is a pending False Claims Act lawsuit against Lockheed Martin relative to the F-35s. The lawsuit contends the software does not follow contract guidelines and is unsafe. The law firm of Sam Boyd and Associates is leading this case on behalf of the US government. If anyone has any information that may be helpful please contact him at his office in Dallas, Texas
The court filing can be read here.
http://www.f-16.net/news_article3635.html

By: ELP

ELP — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:48:21 +0000

A very very long way to go.

But typical I suppose. The “its us against the JET (an others)” attitude won’t get the aircraft done any quicker/better. Maybe they should take a more open approach to what independent investigations find.

All we hear from the program is that everything is “on track”. Not on track in a 2006 or 2007 or 2008 way but a 2009 way. Adjusted to apply spin. For example, look at the schedules for those years.

Yet I am sure if we hear this independent report states everything is “on track”, shouldn’t that be good enough?

By: Daniel Russ

Daniel Russ — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:51:00 +0000

I hope Congress at least tries to hold the manufacturers feet to the fire. Hell we hardly have any competition in this country for aircraft design and manufacture. We’re down to about three companies and they’re all in bed with Congress and Lobbyists.

It’s time we do business at the Pentagon in new way. It is my biggest fear that at the end of the day, we will get nothing of the sort.

Daniel Russ
Civilianmilitaryintelligencegroup.com

By: dave

dave — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:52:49 +0000

Exactly, the cost overruns are there because that’s how DC works. A weapons system that DC wants will be low-balled to sell it to voters, just like a new social program.

I mean, does anybody believe Obama when he says how much his government-run health care will cost? Of course not. He is lying and low-balling the number in hopes of selling it to voters. Then years in the future the price will rise, but it’ll be too late to change.

Bush/Cheney lowballed the cost of the Iraq War. Obama/Pelosi lowball their various welfare programs. It’s how things get done in DC. Everybody loves a liar. And we got a peach of one in the big O.

By: Charles D Phillips, LtCol, USAF (Ret)

Charles D Phillips, LtCol, USAF (Ret) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:40:36 +0000

One thing I heard from senior Lockheed managers, when I worked for Lockheed, was “It is my job to catch the bear, it’s your job to figure out how to skin it.” Often said in a meeting with the customer! This illustrates that both the government and the contractor have to sell a program to Congress — the government by underestimating the difficulty and the contractor by underestimating the difficulty! If the cost and schedule of the program was honestly reported no new programs would ever get started.
So hopefully the JET would have a part of the report that illustrated how the government understated the difficulty, how they added requirements after the CDR, etc etc. Certainly the contractors are not blameless but they have to live in a situation that they cannot control. They will tell you that someone will be there to build the aircraft and that if they get out of that business it will not change.

By: BuddhalovesPaine

BuddhalovesPaine — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:15:33 +0000

One of the assumptions of almost all of the comments made here at BUZZed has been that the US must be prepared to fight and win 2 wars simultaneously. Yet every other country in the world has a defense policy that rests on the assumption that they will have defense forces strong enough to deter an attack by making the costs of any attack out weigh any benefits. So lately because of the costs of maintaining the doctrine of 2 wars the US is going to or at least is thinking about a doctrine in which the US would be expected to fight one war and one insurgency at the same time. WOW!! You are making the Neanderthals blush with your rapid advances in evolutionary thinking!

By: Weaponhead

Weaponhead — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:34:50 +0000

“Joint Strike Fighter Program is flying the right course.” ???

I’ve heard that LMCO has hired David Blaine to keep this illusion going.

How far behind schedule and over budget does the program need to be before they admit FUBAR?

My guess is that they should have more than 200–230 SDD flight hours by now (out of 5000).

When is that SAR data going to the GAO?

By: Tenn Slim

Tenn Slim — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:54:20 +0000

The second issue the JET identified is the kind of thing only a major defense program might suffer from — how to intelligently and economically shed the 4,000 engineers who have made the program possible in the first place. Crowley said JSF should be able to shed half of those jobs by the end of the year and absorb many of the remaining positions inside the company.
Shades of June 1994. The LM Program for F22 had finally passed the CDR. We were on path for first flight, on schedule, on budget, and the meeting was upbeat. The program manager says, now that we have achieved this, we can begin the reduction in force of 30% of the engineers, as their job is over.
SILENCE IN THE ROOM
In the back, one lone courageous individual, stood up. If this is to happen, he says, then, we might as well go now. At this, almost all of the Room began to file out. The CEO, took the mike. Hold Up. We still have to get the USAF Needs List to do. We cannot just walk away from the remainder of the programs.
Needless to say, the PROGRAM MANAGER WAS sacked, LM style, he was shuffled off to a non existant post. Never heard from again.
You cannot drop the core of your engineering force, out of a ongoing program, just because you have attained a Program Deadline. Engineering functions need to be minuetly reviewed, adjusted, kept close to the company. You are always, always, going to need Company Oriented Engineers.
End
Semper Fi

By: Drake1

Drake1 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:18:15 +0000

Given Lockheed’s lousy track record, I expect the F-35 will be delayed.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:34:36 +0000

My bad, Obama’s approval rating has been at 54% for 4 days…

By: Zach

Zach — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:03:08 +0000

Jason,

Exactly what are we looking for on this site?

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:53:41 +0000

http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx

HA!