GAO 3rd Report on F-35 Program
 

GAO Issues 3rd Report on F-35 Program, Sees Serious Risks Along With Progress

...........Total JSF program acquisition costs (through 2027) have increased by $31.6 billion and now DOD will pay 12 percent more per aircraft than expected in 2004. The program has also experienced delays in several key events, including the start of the flight test program, delivery of the first production representative development aircraft, and testing of critical missions systems.... Despite these delays, the program still plans to complete development in 2013, compressing the amount of time available for flight testing and development activities

Accurately predicting JSF costs and schedule and ensuring sufficient funding will likely be key challenges facing the program in the future. JSF continues to pursue a risky acquisition strategy that concurrently develops and produces aircraft. While some concurrency may be beneficial to efficiently transition from development to production, the degree of overlap is significant on this program. Any changes in design and manufacturing that require modifications to delivered aircraft or to tooling and manufacturing processes would result in increased costs and delays in getting capabilities to the warfighter.

I wonder what sort of job they would do costing the 2012 Olympics.

What the GAO don't say
 

The F-35 program is demonstrating -- affordability, design stability, reliable cost forecasts and adherence to schedules.
The government's own Critical Design and first flight success last year validated that the F35 already possesses significant levels of technical maturity and lower levels of technical risk for a fighter at this stage of its development.
Currently, there are no known technical issues to preclude achievement of Service Initial Operational Capabilities (USMC-2012, USAF-2013, USN-2015), or the on-time acquisition of our international partner countries fighters."
Flight testing which began…as planned in 2006… has validated flight characteristics of the aircraft.
Initial electrical power-on occurred as planned in 2005 with five sigma quality – unheard of in an aircraft development program Initial flight line testing occurred as planned with “firsts” achieved in leak-free fuel system tests and record-setting time from engine-on to full-power.
First flight occurred as planned in 2006 and verified outstanding flight
characteristics…even better than the simulator
Training and Concepts of Operation development for international participant country pilots and scientists via large-scale manned tactical simulation experimentation is ccurring as planned with more than 200 participants from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Turkey.
F-35 Carrier Variant is on schedule for Critical Design Review this summer…as planned…
The Cooperative Avionics Testbed, “CATBird,” is a highly modified 737 that will integrate and validate the F-35’s powerful sensor suite before it flies in an F-35. CATBird is undergoing systems installations and will begin flying F-35 avionics this summer.
Lessons learned from F-22 and other recent aircraft development programs have been adopted by F-35 to drive down technical risk even more.
Many of the F-35’s baseline avionics and stealth technologies were matured long ago on the F-22, and are simply being updated for use on the F-35.
The F-35 and F-22 share the same engine core, which has logged hundreds of thousands of successful flight hours.
All 21 test aircraft and the first two Low Rate Initial Production aircraft will be in manufacturing by the end of this year. Ten of the test aircraft are already in the manufacturing flow F-35s will have logged approximately 1,350 flights and 2,500 hours of flight testing before the armed services take delivery of the first production aircraft in 2009.
Flight testing for the F-35 is becoming much more a process of validation than discovery, when compared to legacy programs.
The first F-35 test aircraft is flying and is more mature after two months of testing than previous modern fighters have been after their first year.
Flight test is based on thousands of hours of component and system level testing in labs and facilities.
We knew 80 percent or more about the system before we even began flight test. We fly to learn the last increment and refine the details.
All of the F-35’s sensors are flying NOW and validating their performance, and the entire F-35 avionics package will be integrated and flight-tested long before the first production F-35 is delivered. All other systems are being proved out in laboratories, and will begin flying on F-35 test aircraft this year.
Unlike prior programs, F-35 has a more robust and comprehensive ground
development program for hardware and software and most importantly systems integration.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07360.pdf

full report at link above

SHARMINE

Quote: '....verified outstanding flight characteristics…even better than the simulator...'

Wow, that must have taken some doing!

By definition, the GAO has to find areas that need improvement; hence, the Accounting part of their title.

They issued similiar reports in days past about the C-5 and the F-15, among many others. I don't think anyone would argue that those two platforms developed into outstanding operational aircraft.

Nothing new here......

Sharmine,

or should I say..........Dept Head of BAE Avionics?

How are the Rose-tinted spectacles fitting you?

Do be brief!

BD

Hmmm OK

Affordability and reliable cost forcasts - the price is rising and nobody is going to offer it at a fixed cost now, the program is presently looking at way to change US law to allow multi year procurements of the JSF to off set the high cost of the initial builds, Now how can anyone say its affordable when the purchase price is presently unknown???, bearing in mind that its $31 Billion over the 2004 baseline figure, coupled with the Cost Analysis Improvement Group expressing concerns about the reality of cost estimates which are too low.

Design Stability and adherence to Schedule - the Present JSF is not a production representative aircraft, its structurally different, the reason is the design wasn't anywhere near stable when they started to build them and further testing will require more changes. (a real production JSF flight has been delayed 8 months) shortening the required number of test flights isn't really adhering to a schedule its changing the schedule to fit the time I think they use the word 'Compression' :rolleyes: Does anyone seriously believe this schedule will be kept - IOC started out as 2010 then 2010-2012 then 2012-2013 now its 2012-2015... My personal opinion is around 2016-2020

So its not quite as rosey as some would have you believe, no fighter development program ever is.. why does anyone think this one is different?

Cheers

Like any project at this stage, the JSF has risk areas. In recent history, the visible status of the project at first flight has never revealed all the problems yet to come (I give you B-2, F-22, Typhoon, Rafale). And, as noted, no production-representative aircraft will fly until May 08 - AA-1 is less representative than the Typhoon DAs.

rosey
 

BD Quote

How are the Rose-tinted spectacles fitting you?



Very well and very rosey but then my cup is half full whilst yours appears half empty.

And I'm only the road sweeper so what do I know?:ok:

SHARMINE

Now where's my anti-flash and helmet?