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Pentagon tells Congress of new $771 million F-35 cost spike
Pentagon officials have asked Congress to let them shift $264 million from other accounts to begin paying for new F-35 program cost overruns totaling nearly three times that much.
Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member John McCain (R-Ariz.) raised eyebrows Tuesday when he posted this on Twitter: "Congress notified that first F-35 jets have cost overruns of $771M."
McCain, long a critic of the Lockheed Martin-led program, and one of the Senate's most outspoken and blunt members let his feelings about the new cost spikes be known in the same tweet. "Outrageous! Pentagon asking for $264M downpayment now. Disgraceful," he tweeted.
A McCain aide, in an email Wednesday, said the $771 million overrun covers the first 28 F-35s the Pentagon is buying. The Pentagon informed lawmakers on Monday of a need to move monies within its budget for a $264 million "downpayment," as the aide called it, via a reprogramming request sent last month, the aide said.
"The F-35 team is focused on reducing costs of the jets and is showing significant improvement in key areas," it said.
But McCain took issue with that phrasing. He responded, "@lockheedmartin To most observers, a $771M cost overrun for 28 F-35s doesn’t qualify as "significant improvement." Taxpayers deserve better."
The F-35 program is the most expensive in Pentagon history, and is being developed for three U.S. military services and eight American allies. But it has a long history of developmental problems that have triggered lengthy schedule delays and pricey cost spikes.
The Pentagon is planning to buy over 2,400 models at a cost of $382 billion -- far more costly than first projected.
Defense experts agree that the program will be on many "cut lists" as Washington attempts to fix its broken finances -- at least until it conquers its remaining technical demons.
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