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Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
Jumper Confirms Air Force Plans To Cut Joint Strike Fighter Purchase
By Marc Selinger
12/15/2004 02:33:52 PM
The U.S. Air Force chief of staff confirmed Dec. 14 that the service intends to cut its planned buy of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.
While declining to discuss specific numbers, Gen. John Jumper told the Defense Writers Group that "I think that we will see an overall decrease in the Joint Strike Fighter total requirement." The Lockheed Martin F-35 will be more capable than the F-16 and A-10 it is designed to succeed, so a "one-for-one replacement" will not be needed, he said.
Loren Thompson, chief operating officer at the Lexington Institute, has said that the Air Force wants to cut its purchase of 1,763 JSFs by about a third (DAILY, Dec. 6). The change could be reflected in the Bush Administration's fiscal 2006 defense budget request, which the White House plans to send to Congress Feb. 7.
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps already have cut their JSF procurement from 1,089 jets to 680 as part of an effort to make their fighter force more integrated.
Jumper also provided more details about plans to add the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant to the Air Force's F-35 mix, saying the service intends to buy about 200 to 250 STOVLs. Jumper previously said the Air Force would buy "hundreds" of the short-takeoff planes (DAILY, Sept. 14).
The Air Force wants the STOVL variant to provide close-air support, because the aircraft will be able to use short runways located near ground troops. The service's other JSFs will be in the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) configuration.
The Air Force STOVL will be a modified version of the one the Marine Corps plans to acquire.
In other comments, Jumper said he will meet Dec. 21 with Gen. Lance Lord, head of Air Force Space Command, to "solidify" plans to develop near-space systems, or those deployed at altitudes between 65,000 feet and 300 kilometers (186 miles). Air Force officials have said that airships providing persistent surveillance are strong candidates for near-space deployment (DAILY, Sept. 15).
Turning to airlift, Jumper said the Air Force is considering increasing its use of C-130 transports in Iraq so ground forces could send fewer supply convoys through hostile areas. The Air Force, which has been flying 64 C-130s in Iraq, is looking at whether it should use those aircraft more frequently or send more C-130s to the area.
On the tanker controversy, Jumper insisted the Air Force could conduct a fair competition for new aircraft, even though the service has favored the Boeing KC-767 over the Airbus KC-330. Jumper said that internal Air Force e-mails that seemed to denigrate EADS for its original KC-330 offering simply reflected the fact that the aircraft had no refueling boom. A KC-330 boom now is being developed (DAILY, Sept. 7).
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) released the e-mails, saying they undermine the Air Force's claims that it is willing to consider aircraft besides Boeing's (DAILY, Nov. 22). The Air Force is expected to conduct a new competition sometime after the Pentagon briefs Congress the week of Dec. 20 on the results of a Defense Department-commissioned study of tanker options (DAILY, Nov. 23, Dec. 9).
Addressing unmanned aerial vehicles, Jumper said Predators fired dozens of Hellfire missiles in the recent Fallujah, Iraq, operations and were especially effective against "small targets," such as snipers. Predators firing Hellfires were a novelty a few years ago but are now "routine," he said.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report is a newsletter from Aviation Week's Business Intelligence Services; click here to try a FREE TRIAL subscription. If you already subscribe, login here.
Jumper Confirms Air Force Plans To Cut Joint Strike Fighter Purchase
By Marc Selinger
12/15/2004 02:33:52 PM
The U.S. Air Force chief of staff confirmed Dec. 14 that the service intends to cut its planned buy of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.
While declining to discuss specific numbers, Gen. John Jumper told the Defense Writers Group that "I think that we will see an overall decrease in the Joint Strike Fighter total requirement." The Lockheed Martin F-35 will be more capable than the F-16 and A-10 it is designed to succeed, so a "one-for-one replacement" will not be needed, he said.
Loren Thompson, chief operating officer at the Lexington Institute, has said that the Air Force wants to cut its purchase of 1,763 JSFs by about a third (DAILY, Dec. 6). The change could be reflected in the Bush Administration's fiscal 2006 defense budget request, which the White House plans to send to Congress Feb. 7.
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps already have cut their JSF procurement from 1,089 jets to 680 as part of an effort to make their fighter force more integrated.
Jumper also provided more details about plans to add the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant to the Air Force's F-35 mix, saying the service intends to buy about 200 to 250 STOVLs. Jumper previously said the Air Force would buy "hundreds" of the short-takeoff planes (DAILY, Sept. 14).
The Air Force wants the STOVL variant to provide close-air support, because the aircraft will be able to use short runways located near ground troops. The service's other JSFs will be in the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) configuration.
The Air Force STOVL will be a modified version of the one the Marine Corps plans to acquire.
In other comments, Jumper said he will meet Dec. 21 with Gen. Lance Lord, head of Air Force Space Command, to "solidify" plans to develop near-space systems, or those deployed at altitudes between 65,000 feet and 300 kilometers (186 miles). Air Force officials have said that airships providing persistent surveillance are strong candidates for near-space deployment (DAILY, Sept. 15).
Turning to airlift, Jumper said the Air Force is considering increasing its use of C-130 transports in Iraq so ground forces could send fewer supply convoys through hostile areas. The Air Force, which has been flying 64 C-130s in Iraq, is looking at whether it should use those aircraft more frequently or send more C-130s to the area.
On the tanker controversy, Jumper insisted the Air Force could conduct a fair competition for new aircraft, even though the service has favored the Boeing KC-767 over the Airbus KC-330. Jumper said that internal Air Force e-mails that seemed to denigrate EADS for its original KC-330 offering simply reflected the fact that the aircraft had no refueling boom. A KC-330 boom now is being developed (DAILY, Sept. 7).
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) released the e-mails, saying they undermine the Air Force's claims that it is willing to consider aircraft besides Boeing's (DAILY, Nov. 22). The Air Force is expected to conduct a new competition sometime after the Pentagon briefs Congress the week of Dec. 20 on the results of a Defense Department-commissioned study of tanker options (DAILY, Nov. 23, Dec. 9).
Addressing unmanned aerial vehicles, Jumper said Predators fired dozens of Hellfire missiles in the recent Fallujah, Iraq, operations and were especially effective against "small targets," such as snipers. Predators firing Hellfires were a novelty a few years ago but are now "routine," he said.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report is a newsletter from Aviation Week's Business Intelligence Services; click here to try a FREE TRIAL subscription. If you already subscribe, login here.
