Pentagon To Reduce F-35 Costs By 10 To 20 Percent

The Pentagon plans to reduce operating and sustainment costs by 10 to 20 percent. It seeks suggestions from the aircraft maintainer and industry partner investments in this regard.

Frank Kendall and Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan, F-35 Lightning II program executive officer, said they’ll cull maintainer input to reduce downtime and look to industry to improve reliability and retain air dominance over competing nations. 

The cost reductions, Kendall said, will be ongoing and will draw from a number of sources, to build on the F-35’s capabilities.

The information to reduce costs comes a day after it temporarily grounded the entire F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleet. One of the advanced jets suffered an engine oil leak and declared an in-flight emergency.