Bogdan says F-35 program on track, despite engine glitch

Image Credit:Lockheed Martin During the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition on Sept. 15, th...

Image Credit:Lockheed Martin

During the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition on Sept. 15, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office executive officer Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan reported steady progress across all elements of the F-35 program, though he acknowledged lags in some aspects due to development and testing complexities.

Program delays like the engine issue that caused a fire in June do not, he said, necessarily translate into a major breach in the program.

Bogdan also reported additional engine fixes should be decided by mid-October, and he expressed confidence it would not impact the Marine Corps’ planned initial operational capability date of summer 2015 or the Air Force’s planned initial operational capability date of summer 2016.

He said sequestration-related budget reductions and impending limits to be imposed by the 2016 Budget Control Act add to the complexity of bringing the F-35 program to full standing.

Bogdan also said three regional capability centers in North America, Europe and the Pacific will engage engineering expertise and capability of joint and international partners including the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway to build a global sustainment posture that will reduce program operations, support costs and enable F-35 global reach.