F-35 Difficulties

(IsraelNN.com) Israel’s order for 75 F-35 Lightning II fighter planes from Lockheed Martin may be pushed back two years to 2016, according to an internal Pentagon report. The Joint Estimate Team (JET) said the F-35 program is facing delays and cost overruns, the Washington-based Congressional Quarterly reported on Thursday.

The F-35, originally known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), is the next-generation fighter plane intended to replace aging fleets in the U.S. and allied countries. Israel submitted a formal letter on July 1st outlining its intention to buy up to 75 planes, in a deal reportedly worth around $15 billion.

The JET, an independent body set up to monitor the F-35’s development, said ongoing complications with engineering and design changes to the plane would cause the two-year delay. The Government Accounting Office (GAO) warned that as a result of JET’s findings, as much as $7.4 billion could be added to the cost of the plane's development program.

Lockheed Martin Denies

On the other hand, the Lockheed Martin program office responsible for the F-35 said production of the plane would not be delayed. “JET analysis is grounded in past performance of other legacy fighter programs and does not fully acknowledge proactive F-35 management steps,” spokeswoman Cheryl Limrick said.

The F-35 program received a boost from the U.S. Senate last week when it voted 58-40 not to approve funding for additional F-22 fighter planes. The F-22, also developed by Lockheed Martin, is a futuristic fighter which some say outperforms the F-35, but which is almost much more costly. The U.S. has not authorized any to be sold overseas.

Negotiations between Israel and the U.S. for procurement of the F-35 are ongoing. Points of contention between the two focus on whether Israel will be allowed fit the plane with its own weapons and electronics systems, and whether Israel will be allowed to repair the plane locally without having to turn to the U.S. for components or service.

U.S. Air Force Commander General Norton A. Schwartz - the first Jew to hold this post - met in Israel last week with Israeli Air Force commander Major General Ido Nehushtan, and the two reportedly discussed the F-35. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who arrives in Israel on Monday, is also expected to discuss the arms deal with Israeli officials.