WASHINGTON - Air crews maintaining the F-35 say they’re working extra hours to keep the Pentagon’s costliest aircraft flying because Lockheed Martin Corp. continues to provide parts that aren’t ready to install, according to leaders of a congressional committee, Anthony Capaccio reports for Bloomberg. Continue reading original article.
The Intelligent Aerospace take:
June 24, 2020 -Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, and Committee Members Jackie Speier and Ro Khanna sent a letter to Lockheed Martin CEO James D. Taiclet requesting information on the company’s failure to deliver spare parts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that were ready for installation.
“The military is spending tens of millions of dollars a year to overcome unresolved issues with the system Lockheed Martin built and maintains to track spare parts for the F-35,” said the Members. “These problems must be resolved quickly as they create a significant administrative burden for military maintenance personnel. As the F-35 fleet grows, it is critical that ongoing issues related to spare parts and the shortcoming of the information technology system that supports the F-35 are addressed to prevent continued degradation of warfighter readiness. It is imperative that Lockheed Martin be held accountable for meeting its contractual obligations and that taxpayer money is spent efficiently and effectively.”
Related: Stealthy Lockheed F-35 breaks down too often, Pentagon says
Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace
