DOD Plans To Deliver F-35’s 5th Gen Capability At 4th Gen Cost By 2019

Today, the Department of Defense announced an agreement aimed at reducing the price of an F-35 Lightning II 5th generation fighter to the equivalent of today’s 4th generation fighters by the end of the decade.

Designated “The Blueprint for Affordability,” the DoD and F-35 industry partners – Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems signed an agreement to implement cost reduction initiatives to lower the production costs of F-35 aircraft.

The agreement is built upon the U.S. Government’s Better Buying Power 2.0 initiative, which encouraged defense contractors and the USG acquisition community to determine new and innovative ways to reduce the cost of their goods and services.

Read more