President Obama’s Air Force chief of staff nominee would pressure F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin [LMT] and the service acquisition community daily over the aircraft’s cost containment issues if confirmed, he told lawmakers yesterday.
Gen. Mark Welsh told lawmakers during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing though he’s excited about the Joint Strike Fighter program because of its potential application, he’s concerned about the program’s development.
“I think that cost is a major concern,” Welsh said. “If we can’t clearly identify how much this airplane costs to buy and to fly, after we acquire it, then we really have no idea how many airplanes we can afford or how many we should expect to receive in a realistic look towards the future.
“I think pressure on the company, on the acquisition process internal to the department, is mandatory,” Welsh said. “We have to stay focused every day and, if confirmed, that would be a daily event for me.”
The F-35 has been plagued by massive cost overruns and years of delays. The Defense Department, in February, restricted the F-35 program for the third time, reducing the number of F-35 buys over the next five years to save an estimated $15 billion and give more time for the aircraft to mature (Defense Daily, July 19).
“Our manufacturing process and assembly line is not up to speed…to the level we’d hope it would be at this point in time,” Welsh told Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I/D-Conn.) when asked about F-35. “Which means that we have not been able to build and deliver jets on schedule or at an accurately predicted cost.”
The Pentagon, however, has stuck with plans to buy a total of 2,443 planes for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps at a cost that has risen to $395 billion—about $117 billion from the expected cost five years ago.
Nine F-35s have been delivered in 2012, giving the Pentagon 30 airplanes. Sixteen are operational, according to Lockheed Martin (Defense Daily, July 11).
Also up for confirmation yesterday were Marine Lt. Gen. John Kelly to be U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) chief and Army National Guard Lt. Gen. Frank Grass to be National Guard Bureau chief.
Welsh said in his written responses to questions that the Air Force’s most significant aircraft recapitalization priorities are the F-35A, the Air Force’s conventional take-off and landing variant, the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker and the nascent Long Range Strike, or next generation bomber. Welsh also said the service must “invest in preferred munitions, modify legacy aircraft, maintain our enablers and replace aging space assets.”
Welsh touched on a number of other strategic issues, including if the United States should unilaterally reduce the number of nuclear warheads in its arsenal.
“My personal opinion is that the concept of reciprocity is very, very important in the deterrence business and I don’t think we should unilaterally lower the numbers,” Welsh said.
Welsh, if confirmed, would replace Gen. Norton Schwartz, who is retiring.