DOD's illegal F-35 production

At the current rate of production it will take the USAF more than 50 years to get 1000 F-35s. Their current "requirement" is for 1763.

While it may be "low-rate initial production" or "LRIP" today, the program started with 6 LRIP batches. According to the 2001 plan, Congress should be approving 170 F-35s for full-rate production for FY2014.

That over-optimistic 2001 guess is off by 141 aircraft for this year. And that assumed working, go-to-war aircraft, which today's F-35 program is nowhere near.

Now they are looking at 11 LRIP batches.

Maybe more if history is to be a judge.

And yet, no approved milestone C.

(click image to make larger)

This overview (PDF) summary on DOD procurement says for the F-35 program, "what is wrong with this picture?" With all the significant development problems, the F-35 does not qualify for LRIP.

Here is a snapshot of all F-35 production history in 2011.

At 2014, it has not improved.

Since there is no image to be found of it, you will just have to imagine a doormat with the words, "Milestone-C".


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• F-35 Reading List

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