F-35

  • The Defense Department depends on its partners in the F-35 coalition to keep the price per copy of the aircraft down. But one of those partners may be having second thoughts and is even thinking about specific alternatives. Dave Perry is senior analyst for the Canadian Defense and Foreign Affairs Institute, and author of "Putting the Armed Back Into the Canadian Armed Forces: Improving Defence Procurement in Canada." On In Depth with Francis Rose, Dave explained the current status of the F-35 program in Canada.

    February 03, 2015
  • The F-22 Raptor made its combat debut against the Islamic State in Syria this week. The F-22 project cost about $70 billion over a decade. The Pentagon expects the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to be combat-ready in four years, and it's already the most expensive weapon system in Defense Department history. Cary Russell, director of Defense Capabilities and Management Issues at the Government Accountability Office, estimates the cost of running the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. He told In Depth with Francis Rose after DoD activates the F-35 for combat, the cost could reach about $1 trillion.

    September 24, 2014
  • "Cut it some slack" is what Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall asks critics of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Kendall made those comments Thursday at a ceremony marking the delivery of two F-35s to Australia. The F-35 isn't likely to go away soon, but the buzz about what would replace it may be getting a little louder. Robert Farley is assistant professor at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. He writes in The National Interest about five options for replacing the F-35. He said on In Depth with Francis Rose that one choice is restarting the F-22 line.

    July 28, 2014
  • The shrinking Defense Department budget has the Pentagon looking for alternatives to fund its most expensive program. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program has faced years of delays and skyrocketing costs. Now, the Pentagon has a new strategy to control the F-35's bottom line. It is asking the builders to put skin in the game. Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan is the F-35 program director. He described the F-35's progress as slow but steady, when he joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive.

    June 30, 2014
  • The most expensive defense program ever, the F-35 fighter plane, is running into more problems. The Government Accountability Office says software delays could force the Marine Corps to push back its roll out scheduled for next year. What's more, the auditors say the Defense Department will have to spend more than $12 billion annually on the program for the next 22 years. For more on the future of the F-35 program, Federal Drive host Emily Kopp spoke to Rob Levinson, a senior defense analyst for Bloomberg Government. Read our related story.

    March 26, 2014
  • A new Government Accountability report finds that the DoD will have to spend $12 billion annually over the next 22 years on the F-35 program. Rob Levinson, Bloomberg Government senior defense analyst, explains the impact.

    March 26, 2014
  • Martin Libicki of Rand Corp talks about managing cyber attacks. Kevin Brancato of Bloomberg Government discusses the Canada's decision to pass on the F-35. John Templeton of BlackMoney.com talks about being an African American in IT. Belva Martin of GAO discusses the new network communications strategy.

    January 14, 2013
  • This past summer, defense experts gathered into teams to map out how to cut DoD's budget by a half trillion dollars over 10 years. The results from the game provide some guidance on ways to make the cut happen in real life based on strategic choices, the organizers say.

    November 28, 2012
  • On this week's Bloomberg Government Capital Impact show, analysts will talk about what's next for sequestration, options for repairing the Harrier jet, technology that Israel could use to respond to the Iranian nuclear threat, and why certain medications may be in short supply. October 4, 2012

    October 04, 2012
  • The Air Force says the evaluations will set the standard for larger training programs for airmen and U.S. allies.

    September 12, 2012
  • On the In Depth show blog, you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

    June 22, 2012
  • A case in point is Great Britain had planned on buying the catapult-launch version of the F-35. But rising costs and delays caused Defence Secretary Philip Hammond to switch to another version.

    May 15, 2012
  • On the In Depth show blog, you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

    April 05, 2012
  • The Defense Department estimates its major acquisition programs are costing $1.6 trillion, slightly less than previously estimates.

    April 02, 2012