WASHINGTON, D.C. — The day after President-Elect Donald J. Trump attacked the F-35 program for its “out of control” cost, Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL2) defended the planes and said the spending issues surrounding them are in the past.
“The F-35 issues took place mainly in the research and development phase of the program, and that’s over and done – and paid for. The F-35 is in production,” Roby said.
The F-35 program and cost is out of control. Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2016
According to a report from The Atlantic, Donald Trump’s claim on burgeoning costs is correct. Running about $135 million per unit, the project has cost about $1.5 trillion, or approximately the same price as the war in Iraq. By 2014, the program was “$163 billion over budget [and] seven years behind schedule,” Politico reported.
“The condensed version of this plane’s tragedy is that a project meant to correct some of the Pentagon’s deepest problems in designing and paying for weapons has in fact worsened and come to exemplify them,” wrote analyst James Fallows. “An aircraft that was intended to be inexpensive, adaptable, and reliable has become the most expensive in history, and among the hardest to keep out of the shop.”
Roby has been working to bring the new F-35s to the 187th Fighter Wing at Montgomery’s Dannelly Field. The 187th has made the Air Force’s shortlist for the assignment, and a decision will be made sometime in the spring of 2017.
Despite Trump’s critical Tweet, Roby does not believe the President-Elect is threatening the existence of the program itself. “Donald Trump is known for his negotiation skills. It may seem unconventional, but I believe what he is doing is putting the Pentagon on notice that inefficiency and cost overruns won’t be tolerated for future acquisitions,” she said, “And that’s a good thing. I’ve been an advocate for acquisition reform for some time, so I’m eager to see any specifics he might offer.”
She also noted the importance of the program, as the F-35s are intended to serve as replacements for F-16s, which started production in 1973.
“I’m glad to see President-elect Trump is concerned about spending, and there have certainly been problems with cost overruns on military programs, including the F-35,” Roby said. “The incoming administration and Congress must work together to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars when it comes to military programs. Part of that is not wasting past investments like the F-35, and I’m confident President-elect Trump and his advisers understand that.”
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