Ah.....it's just starting to get interesting.
Boy stress called this DEAD ON two years ago. LOL...
"In this latest review of the Joint Strike Fighter program, GAO recommends that the Pentagon delay investing in production until flight testing shows that the JSF performs as expected. This is being resisted by the Pentagon, as flight tests of a fully-configured aircraft would not begin until 2011 – by which time Low-Rate Production is now scheduled to be well-advanced.
GAO makes a persuasive case, noting that since initial estimates, program acquisition unit costs have increased by 28 percent, or $23 million. Development costs have increased 84 percent, planned purchases have decreased by 535 aircraft, and the completion of development has slipped 5 years, delaying delivery of capabilities to the warfighter. Yet, the Pentagon plans to produce 424 low-rate initial production aircraft, at a total estimated cost of more than $49 billion, by 2013, which GAO says “increases the likelihood of design changes that will lead to cost growth, schedule delays, and performance problems.”
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06356.pdf
<b>There are two kinds of soldiers.
Snipers...and targets.</b>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>
