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Purveyor

(29,876 posts) Mon Apr 27, 2015, 01:00 PM Apr 2015

F-35 Engines From United Technologies Called Unreliable

Source: Bloomberg

F-35 engines from United Technologies Corp. are proving so unreliable that U.S. plans to increase production of the fighter jet may be slowed, according to congressional auditors.

Data from flight tests evaluated by the Government Accountability Office show the reliability of engines from the company’s Pratt & Whitney unit is “very poor (less than half of what it should be) and has limited” progress for the F-35, the costliest U.S. weapons system, the watchdog agency said in a report sent to lawmakers this month.

The GAO cited the need to make design changes to the engines and then retrofit planes already built, along with continuing flaws in the plane’s software, in a report that warned the Defense Department’s “procurement plan may not be affordable.” The military plans to spend $391.1 billion for a fleet of 2,443 planes from prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp.

The Pentagon’s inspector general issued a separate report Monday criticizing management of the engine program. It identified 61 “noncomformities” with Defense Department requirements and policies and called for the Pentagon office in charge of the F-35 to establish new quality goals and provide more oversight.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-27/f-35-engines-from-united-technologies-called-unreliable-by-gao

15 replies

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Highlight:

F-35 Engines From United Technologies Called Unreliable (Original Post) Purveyor Apr 2015 OP

Just IMAGINE...... Plucketeer Apr 2015 #1

Actually you're already driving the incomplete car you're still paying for KeepItReal Apr 2015 #5

Just for fun I googled "F35 vs Eurofighter" mwooldri Apr 2015 #12

Just watch the designer of the A-10 and F-16 talk about the F-35 jakeXT Apr 2015 #13

But they look cool! PersonNumber503602 Apr 2015 #14

Just cancel the damned thing already. n/t eggplant Apr 2015 #2

A factory in every district! staggerleem Apr 2015 #3

they are reliable at fleecing taxpayers on behalf of our president and congress nt msongs Apr 2015 #4

That's why they should have put two engines in the damned plane. Inadequate & defective by design. leveymg Apr 2015 #6

Right-wingers will undoubtedly claim this is an example of 'government incompetence' ... brett_jv Apr 2015 #7

I bet this is all done purposely. Oneironaut Apr 2015 #8

F-35 failures are the gift that keeps on giving. Ford_Prefect Apr 2015 #9

Follow the Money MosheFeingold Apr 2015 #10

$391.1 billion n/t Strelnikov_ Apr 2015 #11

"continuing flaws in the plane’s software"nt bemildred Apr 2015 #15

Plucketeer

(12,882 posts)

1. Just IMAGINE......

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 01:31 PM

Apr 2015

being FORCED to buy a car that was doomed to spend most of it's time in your driveway or the shop - while you're forced to drive the old job you were wise enough not to trade in!

This "hole" boondoggle should be purposely crashed and burnt before our coffers cough up the billions!!!

KeepItReal

(7,769 posts)

5. Actually you're already driving the incomplete car you're still paying for

Reply to Plucketeer (Reply #1)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 02:25 PM

Apr 2015

Missing seats (cannot support original payload), missing electronics (weapons systems integrations not complete), on top of being unreliable.

F-35s are in service right now, as effed up as they are.

mwooldri

(10,303 posts)

12. Just for fun I googled "F35 vs Eurofighter"

Reply to KeepItReal (Reply #5)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 10:21 PM

Apr 2015

Funny how a 12 year old non-stealth fighter plane can apparently outperform the F35.

F22 vs Eurofighter - now that's a contest.

jakeXT

(10,575 posts)

13. Just watch the designer of the A-10 and F-16 talk about the F-35

Reply to mwooldri (Reply #12)

Tue Apr 28, 2015, 04:35 AM

Apr 2015

PersonNumber503602

(1,134 posts)

14. But they look cool!

Reply to mwooldri (Reply #12)

Tue Apr 28, 2015, 05:20 AM

Apr 2015

There are some major problems in the way these programs work. It seems like every major program in the recent times have had huge issues in that they have been more expensive and less effective.

eggplant

(3,911 posts)

2. Just cancel the damned thing already. n/t

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 01:51 PM

Apr 2015

staggerleem

(469 posts)

3. A factory in every district!

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 02:01 PM

Apr 2015

Maybe there's a lesson for the MIC, here. While it might have seemed like a great idea, politically, to have 435 factories (one in each congressional district! - so shutting down the program kills jobs in EVERY DISTRICT!) involved in the construction of this beast, logistically, that might be WHY they're so unreliable!

Hmmm - 435 ... F-35 ... Coincidence?

msongs

(67,420 posts)

4. they are reliable at fleecing taxpayers on behalf of our president and congress nt

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 02:03 PM

Apr 2015

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

6. That's why they should have put two engines in the damned plane. Inadequate & defective by design.

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 03:11 PM

Apr 2015

brett_jv

(1,245 posts)

7. Right-wingers will undoubtedly claim this is an example of 'government incompetence' ...

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 03:35 PM

Apr 2015

And that we should've had a private company oversee the entire process because the government can't do anything correctly.

Nevermind that there's plenty of private companies involved in this whole cock-up, and THEY are the one's who've overpromised and underdelivered.

Also, I wonder how many school lunches ... food stamps ... social security payments ... college educations ... health insurance subsidies ... all they shit they cry about spending money on ... could we have paid for with all the hundreds of billion$ wasted on this friggin' massive pork-barrel boondoggle?

We already had plenty of military might and were significantly advanced in terms of air-power over any other country in the world ... what a f***ing joke this whole mess is. Terrible ...

Oneironaut

(5,504 posts)

8. I bet this is all done purposely.

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:03 PM

Apr 2015

It's like one of those email scams where you have to keep sending money for something that will come "some day," but a bunch of issues magically start happening that require more money and time.

We've far passed "seems legit" territory.

Ford_Prefect

(7,901 posts)

9. F-35 failures are the gift that keeps on giving.

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:04 PM

Apr 2015

Every failure level is another guaranteed service update with fees and parts costs to match.

And now they intend to sell them to Israel too? Talk about out-sourcing.