This previous analysis by Defense-Aerospace of what the F-35 actually costs (by variant) for LRIP-5 is fairly accurate based on U.S. DOD contracts.
Until now.
Some years ago when Rolls-Royce and GE were pushed out of the alternate engine program leaving Pratt and Whitney as the only jet-engine provider for the F-35, what many may not know is that Rolls-Royce makes the lift-systems that attach to the Pratt and Whitney jet-engine which allow the B jet to do STOVL flight.
A friend who has over 30 years of observing key aerospace programs found this new contract awarded to Rolls-Royce for 3 lift-fan systems last month to support the 3 F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft ordered under LRIP-5.
It is troubling.
The contract is for $195M. Dividing that by 3 equals $65M. So, take the Defense-Aerospace figure of $291.7 million for each of the 3 F-35B aircraft under LRIP-5 and add $65M.
The total (by DOD contracts) for your new (and woefully under-developed) LRIP-5 F-35B is $356.7M.
Each.
Remember one of the reasons the F-22 was cancelled? And it had met its' combat performance criteria.
I will leave you with this quote which shows how bad a DOD leader can be lied to by their advisers about F-35 costs.
" ...about $77 million per copy."
-Robert Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Feb. 2008.
With no full-rate production date in sight and no working mission systems nearly 12 years after Lockheed Martin was awarded the Joint Strike Fighter contract, how well are today's civilian Defense leaders being advised about the F-35?
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See also:
Is this aircraft worth over $51B of USMC tac-air funding?
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