Christine Fox, the Pentagon’s top independent cost estimator, made clear in her testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that the developmental challenges confronting the F-35 strike fighter program “should not be interpreted as a signal” that the aircraft faces insurmountable technical problems. Indeed, she said, the Pentagon has had similar issues in the past with aircraft programs like the F-22 and C-17. “Those programs looked very troubled in the same stages” but “ultimately produced” capable aircraft, she said, albeit with changes including reduced planned production buys. That caught the ear of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), ranking member, who asked her if, similarly, she anticipated cuts to F-35 production numbers. (After all, wouldn’t that signal the advent of the infamous “death spiral” of production cuts and corresponding unit-cost spikes?) Fox responded that she was “not trying to suggest” that. (See It’s Official) (Fox’s prepared remarks)
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.