Forum: Program and politics

F-35 Falls Short on Goals Costing Lockheed $32 Million From U.S. 22 Feb 2012

http://news.businessweek.com/article.as ... MKGDIM0KO1

"Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Lockheed Martin Corp. lost $31.5 million of a possible $52.5 million in U.S. payments last year because its F-35 fighter failed to meet three milestones, according to Pentagon data....

...Milestones Met, Missed
Of the five milestones, Lockheed and subcontractors Northrop Grumman Corp. and BAE Systems Plc successfully met all criteria for ground testing used to verify structural integrity at hundreds of airframe locations. Lockheed also completed sea trials of the F-35B, accomplishing 72 short takeoffs and 72 vertical landings on the USS Wasp.

Lockheed didn't accomplish all the requirements for two software releases or of aircraft carrier “suitability” tests of launching and landings conducted on the ground in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

The fee was withheld because Lockheed needs to redesign a faulty tail-hook assembly that failed in some of the ground tests to fully hook onto the arresting cable used during landings. The flaw was discovered early enough to keep on track for testing at sea in 2014, according to DellaVedova.

Lockheed was informed of the fee decision on Jan. 30, four days after reporting fourth-quarter earnings, DellaVedova said.

--Editors: Larry Liebert, Terry Atlas" MUCH MORE AT URL as usual...

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I think it is interesting that the full article admits that asside from the CV tail hook issue, all the requirements had been met by the end of January. So I guess they were close, just a little behind the reward timeline. I am assuming the rewards are tied to stretch goals and not easy goals, so to be less than a month behind schedule seems to be not that bad. However, if they were not stretch goals, then there is a problem.

Sufa Viper

sufaviper wrote:

I think it is interesting that the full article admits that asside from the CV tail hook issue, all the requirements had been met by the end of January...

1- tailhook fix is to fly in Mar or Apr??
2a- software to issue for flight testing training?
2b- software to issue for flight testing (which block)?

.....other LRIP2 "Bs" to Eglin?please???

Smile

My bad, wrong "full article" (I read a different one by reuters and assumed spazsinbad was quoting the same article)

like I said, the tailhook is the one that hasn't been fixed yet, so that point isn't done.

Block 1 is all that is required to be issued for training, which is an interesting situation. The goal was effectively blocked when they good Dr. blocked flight training from starting at Eglin until many more test points had been completed. So the LM portion (software ready for release) was complete in January, they just can't prove/release it yet due to outside forces.

Block 2 software was reviewed and released in January and started flight test in February, so the goal was met in January with the release of the software.

There was no award fee tied to delivery of the LRIP 2 aircraft to Eglin.

Sufa Viper

Forum: Program and politics

F-35 Falls Short on Goals Costing LM $32 Million