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Air Force

DOT&E Questions Logic, Legality of DoD’s F-35 Block Buy Approach

Pat Host

Monday, February 1st, 2016

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DOT&E Questions Logic, Legality of DoD’s F-35 Block Buy Approach

F-35 developer Lockheed Martin is part of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) trade group. Photo: Air Force

The Defense Department’s chief weapons tester questions the logic and legality of the Pentagon’s block buy approach to buying F-35s due to the program’s state of maturity and the law’s “fly before you buy” approach to defense acquisition.Michael Gilmore, director of operational test and evaluation (OT&E), said in his annual report released Monday that DoD should carefully consider whether committing to a block buy, composed of three lots of aircraft comprising as many as 270 jets, is prudent. Gilmore said…

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