Fighter jets hit by cost blowout
Thurs "The Australian"
Fighter jets hit by cost blowout
By Cameron Stewart
April 29, 2004
THE largest defence project in Australia’s history — the $16 billion plan to buy a new fleet of US - fighter jets — is being undermined by a blowout in costs , production schedules and design problems with the new plane.
The problems have become so pronounced that US Navy secretary Gordon England has admitted US congressional support for the $US240 billion ($328 million) Joint Strike Fighter program is being undermined.
The yet-to-be-built JSF model , which Australia plans to buy, is said to be about 680kg overweight in the design phase — a flaw that, if unsolved, would curtail its ability to carry out effective combat missions.
The RAAF’s director-general of new combat capability, Air Commodore John Harvey, told The Australian yesterday the latest setbacks were "disappointing" but he was confident the JSF would turn out to be an excellent aircraft.
Over the past 30 days, Lockheed Martin's JSF project, based in Fort Worth, Texas, has experienced a string of new cost, design and production setbacks on top of those revealed late last year.
Designers have been unable to make the aircraft light enough to reach its promised range and payload capacity, forcing a 18-month delay in a critical design review that was scheduled to take place this month.
Mr England also told the US House Armed Services Committee this month that the cost of each fighter plane had risen by more than 15 per cent on original estimates.
The JSF project , which will produce about 2600 fighters for the US and its allies, is central to Australia's future defence needs, which require a timely replacement for the aging fleet of F/A-18 fighters and F-111 bombers.
The RAAF is relying on US promises the first JSF will be delivered in 2012 , but delays in the production schedule have thrown this into doubt.
Any long-term delay in the delivery of the JSF would pose a dilemma for the RAAF, which would have to lease an interim fighter from another country or pay more to keep its existing fighters in the air for several more years.
The Howard Government has invested $US150 million ($205 million)to help design the JSF and says it plans to eventually buy up to 100 in what would be the single largest government purchase since Federation.
Commodore Harvey told The Australian delays were a frustrating but inevitable part of such a large and complex technical project.
"The situation is disappointing regarding the costs and schedule issues but at the end of the day it will still be a very good aircraft and we expect it to suit our needs."
It is believed the Government expected to pay about $55 million for each fighter, but that cost is now likely to rise substantially.
In January, the US Defence Department said it was adding $US5 billion to the JSF development budget and an extra year to the project's timetable because of the plane's weight problems.
Mr England said the setbacks had captured the attention of the US Congress, which has to approve future funding for the JSF project.
"We need them to support the revised program. We don't want to delay it any further and drive up the costs — we need the airplane."
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