Well this is bound to speed things up..... And a humorous interlude.
F-35 Follow-On Plan Takes Shape And U.S. Navy Tests Carrier Variant | Defense content from Aviation Week
".......The stakeholders earlier this year settled on a wish list of capabilities to be included in the first two increments of Block 4, planned for 2020 and 2022. That list is moving through the formal requirements process, with approval by the Pentagon’s Joint Requirements Oversight Council expected this fall, says Wathen......
A crucial change coming in Block 4 will be the JPO’s effort to wrest control of the program from contractor Lockheed Martin. The government needs to own the technical baseline for the program, explains Wathen, adding that the office is looking at “the appropriate places to ensure we obtain government-purposed rights.” The Pentagon also wants to take the reins for the test program: Right now, Lockheed has greater responsibility for the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) effort.
That undertaking presents a stark contrast to the original 2001 development contract, which was formed as a “total system performance responsibility” (TSPR) arrangement; this allowed the contractor to oversee many administrative functions that would otherwise be managed by the Defense Department, creating more risk for the government. Since then, Pentagon officials have universally declared TSPR a failure when applied to development programs like F-35, pointing to the contract structure as the root of the program’s initial cost and schedule issues.
In light of the cost overruns that initially plagued JSF, a prominent government watchdog has called on the Pentagon to establish the Block 4 upgrade program as its own separate acquisition program, as a way to increase oversight and transparency. The Government Accountability Office argues that this approach would allow Congress to more easily distinguish between the costs associated with the modernization effort and cost growth in the existing baseline. But Wathen maintains establishing a separate program is not necessary, as funding for Block 4 and SDD already are reported separately, and would add expense and red tape to a process that is transparent.
The JPO plans to release a request for proposals for the Block 4 developmental and integration effort in the next year or so, with a contract award expected in 2018. Lockheed will be the prime contractor..........."
the VFA-101 “Grim Reapers” squadrons are in awe of what the jet can do today. Says Lt. Graham Cleveland of VFA-101: “I can take off, type in an altitude, type in a heading and just let the jet go out and fly.” 