DOD official on the road, misleading valuable allies

Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter is on the road helping Lockmart sell defective mistake jets.

He spins this fairy tale for Japan:

“It’s the linchpin of tactical aircraft inventories for the United States for decades to come, so we’re completely committed to it.”

Interesting, as it is unlikely to take on Pacific anti-access threats. That and no one knows what it will cost or how many we can afford to field.

The biggest alleged customer of the F-35, the USAF, certainly has worry.

Carter continues perpetuating the Ponzi-scheme.

“I wouldn’t have told you this three years ago, but I can tell you now: I think it’s getting on the path to finishing its development [and] ramping up to full-rate production.”

Add him to the witness list when the lawyers start eating this program alive.

The rest of the article explains how dumb it is to be a JSF Partner Nation member mooching for "best value" while off-sets are handed out to FMS customers.

DOD contract for FMS sale of 10 C-27Js to Australia

DOD Contract...

L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, L.P., Greenville, Texas, is being awarded a $321,770,026 firm-fixed-price contract to purchase 10 C-27J aircraft, 10 option kits, and one lot each production cost and software reports and contractor logistic support cost and software reports for the Commonwealth of Australia by issuing a delivery order. The location of the performance is Greenville, Texas. Work is to be completed May 24, 2012. ASC/WLNJ, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-07-D-0099 0078).

South Korea and U.S. in mil-tech tampering disagreement

S.Korea is being accused of tampering with purchased U.S. mil tech. The explanation of "Tiger Eye" in the article is not correct but the message in the article is what is important.

This is why different FMS (foreign military sales) customers need different "requirements" that suit "their needs". Note the definition of Delta SDD in the F-35 program here.

Anything hinting at useful for LM's LCS doesn't happen until FMS

It looks like in order to get anything useful out of the faulty Littoral Combat Ship program you have to take a look at Lockheed Martin's FMS marketing of the "Surface Combat Ship".

Take a look at the entire video.