Pentagon keeps F-35’s full-rate production on hold

The Pentagon has put a decision on approving full-rate production of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 on indefinite hold, as officials remain unable to say when the fighter jet will be ready for combat testing that’s been delayed repeatedly since 2017. Report informs referring to Bloomberg.

The most recent of many milestones for a full production decision on the $398 billion programs -- “no later than March” of next year -- has been scrapped by Ellen Lord, the Defense Department’s undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment.

“Technical challenges and the impact of Covid-19” have delayed preparation of the simulation facility where the sophisticated testing of the costliest U.S. weapons system will be conducted, Jessica Maxwell, Lord’s spokeswoman, said in a statement when asked about a previously undisclosed Dec. 18 memo by Lord. She said a new date would “based on an independent technical review.”

That means it will be months into President-elect Joe Biden’s administration before his new team at the Pentagon has all the information it will need to make a decision on the F-35’s full-rate production, the most lucrative phase for Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed.

The simulated combat testing was to have occurred this month, the latest date of an exercise once scheduled for 2017.

Whenever the testing occurs, it will take an additional two to three months to transfer and analyze the data and then draft a final report for delivery to Pentagon leaders and Congress. The report is mandated by law before a decision.