The Pentagon is holding to its F-35A sustainment target cost of $25,000 per flying hour by fiscal year 2025, despite multiple internal assessments that argue the goal is not achievable.
The Pentagon established the $25,000 target in January as part of the program’s life-cycle sustainment plan. F-35 Program Executive Officer Vice Adm. Mat Winter and Bob Daigle, then the cost assessment and program evaluation office director, told Congress last month the goal is not achievable in that time frame based on current cost and availability projections. The F-35A currently costs about $44,000 per flying hour.
Winter called the target a “stretch goal,” noting that he expects the A model to be closer to a $34,000 CPFH in FY-24. Daigle said CAPE’s estimate is slightly higher at $36,000, adding that he expects the flying-hour cost to actually increase to $37,000 per year in FY-25.
Gen. Arnold Bunch, the new head of Air Force Materiel Command, told reporters this week that while he “can’t commit” to the $25,000 CPFH goal, he is encouraged by the work the department has done to create actionable performance targets to drive down costs.
Source: “McMahon committed to $25K F-35A cost target despite conflicting data.” Albon, Courtney. Inside the Pentagon’s Inside the Air Force; Arlington Vol. 30, Iss. 26, (Jun 28, 2019).
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