The Government Accountability Office (GAO), in its March 31 report on “Defense Acquisitions:
Assessments of Selected Major Weapon Programs” estimates the Joint Strike Fighter’s cost at $257
billion for 2,443 aircraft, i.e. a unit program cost of $105.2 million per aircraft in FY2006 dollars.
(16)
- Another GAO report, also published in March 2006, estimates the cost of 424 Low Rate Initial
Production aircraft at $ 49 billion, i.e. $ 115 million per aircraft (see note 15).
- However, is its April 2006 Selected Acquisition Report, the Pentagon said total JSF program costs
had increased to $276.5 billion for the 2,458 aircraft planned by the US (see note 17), meaning
unit procurement cost increased in proportion to $112.5 million. This is the latest figure available,
and is the one used for comparison purposes.
- As the JSF program is still in early development, no figures are available for its unit procurement
cost once full-rate production gets underway. Much higher cost estimates have been made public
than those used in this study; for example the US Air Force, in documents accompanying its FY07
budget request, estimates the JSF’s future “recurring fly-away cost at $154.6 million (see note 13)
- On June 9, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) estimated the average procurement unit
cost (APUC, which does not include R&D or other “sunk” costs) at $94.8 million per aircraft in thenyear
dollars. (see note 18)
- The LRIP contract price was used to compute JSF’s unit procurement costs because this is the
only contractual figure to have been made public. It is however not a satisfactory basis.
Sources:
(18) CRS: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background, Status, and Issues (June 9, 2006)
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL30563.pdf (see page 6)
(16) GAO: Tactical Aircraft: Recapitalization Goals Are Not Supported by F-22A and JSF Business Cases
(Testimony, March 2006)
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-487T
(13) US Air Force, FY07 budget request
https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/FMB/pb/2...v1_FY07_PB.pdf
(14) Department of Defense, Program Acquisition Costs by Weapon System, FY07
http://www.dod.mil/comptroller/defbu...07_weabook.pdf
(15) GAO: Joint Strike Fighter: DOD Plans to Enter Production before Testing Demonstrates Acceptable
Performance, see Appendix II
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-356
(17) Pentagon: Selected Acquisition Report, April 2006
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2...060407sars.pdf
