Pentagon considers scrapping costly F-35 jet program

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http://rt.com/usa/pentagon-f35-stealth-bomber-963/



A Pentagon budget review reveals that the Pentagon is considering the cancellation of its $391.2 billion F-35 fighter jet program that already involves ten foreign countries

Pentagon considers scrapping costly F-35 jet program
By Ken Hanly
Aug 2, 2013 - 15 hours ago in Business


Washington - The documents were leaked but a briefing by Pentagon officials held recently laid out a number of ways that the Pentagon could cope with $500 billion in automatic budget cuts required over the next ten years. The slideshow showed the Pentagon was frustrated by the continued cost over-runs of the jet program.

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said that the Pentagon might have to decide between a much smaller force or a decade-long holiday from modernizing its weapons systems and technology. Reuters reported that a decision to maintain a large military could result in terminating the $392 billion Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 program and also a new stealth long-range bomber.

The F-35 program is the most expensive weapons system ever. 2,443 aircraft are to be built. The price tag of $391.2 billion is already up 68 per cent from the original estimates in 2001. US Lieutenant General Christopher Bogdan lashed out a Lockheed Martin and Pratt and Whitney for overcharging the US government. Bogdan is the head of the US Joint Strike fighter program.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke to reporters on Wednesday and indicated that the Pentagon might have to decide between a "much smaller force" and a decade-long "holiday" from modernizing weapons systems and technology.