F-35 entire program will cost $396 billion

The U.S. Defense Department projects a nearly $17 billion increase in the total cost of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program from prior estimates, according to a new Pentagon report. DoD now says the entire program will cost $396 billion, according to Pentagon‘s selected acquisition report, which was sent to Congress on March 29

DoD still plans to buy 2,443 of the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. Production of U.S. jets is expected to go until the late 2030s.

Slowing down procurement of the F-35 in the near term, as laid out in DoD‘s 2013 budget request, will add nearly $6.2 billion in procurement and development costs. DoD removed 179 F-35s from planned purchases between 2013 and 2017.

DoD officials have said that slowdown is necessary to finish development, thus avoiding even greater costs of having to modify production jets to meet the final configuration.

from Defense News