Issues

Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F136 Alternate Engine:

IFPTE continues to urge Congress to maintain funding for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F136 alternative engine program. The GE/Rolls-Royce (GE/RR) F-136 engine is on schedule and on budget, has been approved as a part of the House passed FY11 Defense Authorization bill (H.R. 5136), and appears to have a healthy majority of support among Congressional lawmakers. To add icing to the cake, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GOA) estimates that the GE/RR F136 competitive engine could pay for itself by producing a 9 to 11% savings, which amounts to approximately $21 billion. Moreover, the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 mandates competition through the entire life of major defense programs.

The JSF Program creates the perfect opportunity for acquisition reform through competition. Competition will ensure contractor performance and cost savings. In addition, we should not allow our future U.S. fighter fleet to be crippled by a single source engine technical issue, as some are proposing for the JSF.

Without an alternate engine, the JSF fleet could experience a fleet-wide grounding leaving our troops and the nation's airspace vulnerable to attack.

Unfortunately Congress failed to continue funding for the program as a part of the final long term Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) appropriations bill signed into law on April 14th. However, Congress may continue the funding for the alternative engine through the FY12 defense appropriations bill, an effort that IFPTE will support.