Gates' defense spending plan cuts 124 F-35 purchases

[unhappycamper]

Gates' defense spending plan cuts 124 F-35 purchases
By Bob Cox | The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Posted on Friday, January 7, 2011

Defense Secretary Robert Gates outlined a five-year plan Thursday to reduce defense spending by $78 billion, including a dramatic cut in purchases of the F-35 joint strike fighter.

After more than a year of reviews of the oft-delayed and over-budget program, the Pentagon now plans to order 325 jets between 2012 and 2016, 124 fewer than anticipated a few months ago.

Gates' plan would significantly slow production increases at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth factory and likely affect the company's plans for hiring workers over that time.

Lockheed has been anticipating about 200 foreign orders during that period, but most of those nations are also dealing with budget problems and worried about rising F-35 costs.

At a Pentagon news briefing, Gates expressed serious concern about continued problems with the F-35B, the short-takeoff-vertical-landing model designed for the Marines.

[Joanne98]

1. 325 jets is still WAY to many!

[old mark]

2. K&R- it's a start-$78 billion here, a few more billion there, it might have some effect.....nt

[Erose999]

3. 325? Holy shit!

Who are we having an arms race with again? As I understand it Al Qaeda doesn't have any planes of their own. And Iran is still waiting on spare parts for the F-14's we sold them, haha.

[spin]

4. There's always China...

Of course, if they wanted to win a war with us they would just refuse to lend us money.