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Updated: Sun Aug 29 16:43:38 UTC 2010
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US
Air Force Joint Strike Fighter Production
Reduced by More Than 50 Percent
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Air
Power Australia - Australia's Independent Defence Think Tank
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Air
Power Australia Media Release
8th February,
2007
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This
week's disclosure of the the planned budget for the US military
indicates a dramatic cut, in excess of 50 percent, in the build
quantity of Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for
the US Air Force. This
cut will drive up unit procurement costs for Australia, firmly pushing
all Joint Strike Fighter aircraft built into the same cost bracket
which Defence have attributed to the much more capable F-22 Raptor,
said a spokesman for Air Power Australia today.
"Until this announcement, public statements indicated that the original
build rate of 110 aircraft annually would be sustained between 2013 and
2028, which including additional Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP)
aircraft yields a fleet
total in excess of 1763 CTOL Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. The revised
figures now put the total
for the US Air Force at a number closer to 720 aircraft, which is a
typical number for a minimal build to make development viable."
"The production cut has enormous implications for the JSF program as a
whole, and for Australia as a potential early customer. The
non-recurring expenses in production of the aircraft will have to be
amortised across a build which is almost 60 percent smaller than
previously planned for, adding a significant additional cost to each
production aircraft. Other cost increases will arise from reduced
economies of scale in component production, thus driving up the Unit
Recurring Flyaway Cost which Defence has repeatedly quoted when asked
about Joint Strike Fighter costs."
"Another factor further impacting cost to Australia will be the likely
reduction in projected future export numbers, as other JSF program
partners trim back their buys to fit within planned budgets, due to the
higher unit costs per aircraft."
"Defence have argued from the outset that the main reason why they
preferred the Joint Strike Fighter over the F-22 was the allegedly
higher cost of the F-22. The production cut in the Joint Strike Fighter
effectively kills this argument dead in its tracks. Why should
Australia purchase inferior Joint Strike Fighters - or Super Hornets -
when fifty five of the far superior F-22s can now be purchased for much
less in terms of
total dollars?"
"Yesterday's disclosure by the US Defense
Security
Cooperation
Agency of the details of the proposed Super Hornet purchase puts the
total cost of the package of 24 Super Hornet aircraft and spares at
US$3.1 billion, or around A$4 billion. This puts the total cost of the
previously intended package of up to 100 Joint Strike Fighters, the
ongoing life extension of the worn out RAAF Hornets and the Super
Hornet 'band aid purchase' to a figure in excess of A$22 billion. Yet
the resulting package is inferior in total strike capability to the
existing fleet of F-111s and F/A-18A Hornets."
"The reality of
a much more expensive Joint Strike Fighter will be a
total cost either far in excess of A$22 billion to get to a final fleet
of 100 Joint Strike Fighters, or a significantly smaller number of
Joint Strike Fighters for A$22 billion."
"Buying fifty
five of the superior F-22A Raptor and retaining the F-111
with
upgrades,
as proposed by Industry in 2001, provides a superior total capability
to the current Defence plan, and does so at a total cost of around A$12
billion, which is around half the cost of the current Defence plan."
"Air Power Australia has warned repeatedly of the adverse impact of
likely Joint Strike Fighter build reductions, which have now
materialised with significant cost impact."
"It is time for Defence to accept that the original ad hoc plan
adopted for the RAAF's future is not viable either strategically or
fiscally. Every key risk which has been identified to date has
materialised, making a complete mockery of numerous public statements
by senior Defence officials since 2002."
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Air
Power Australia Website - http://www.ausairpower.net/
Air Power Australia Research and
Analysis - http://www.ausairpower.net/research.html
Contacts: Carlo Kopp /
Peter Goon
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