Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

Data for: carrier-based F-35C CF-01 fighter flight

According to the U.S., “Aviation Week and Space Technology” web site December 16, 2010 report based on U.S. Department of Defense Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program officer of the latest statement, F-35 conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL, F-35A) target price to $ 111.6 million, short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL, F-35B) to $ 109.4 million, catapult take-off block landing type (CV, F-35C) to $ 142.9 million. The price data is not publicly available, but the project office in answer to “Aviation Week,” the inquiry revealed.

all of the above prices do not include Pratt & Whitney’s F135 engine, the engine of the new production contract being negotiated. Before the beginning of the first three groups based on small batch production (LRIP Ⅲ) price, F-35A engine type average price of $ 19 million, F-35B lift fan engine and type in the system price of about $ 38 million. 4th batch of the aircraft, Pratt & Whitney’s offer at least 10 percent lower.

fourth batch of aircraft contract negotiations began in October 2009, lasted more than a year, until November 19 this year, was signed, but no target price data. In the meantime, the Pentagon has undergone testing machine again and again to deliver a trial period and flight delays, so the Pentagon’s procurement director Ashton Carter (Ashton Carter) and the Air Force procurement official David Fan Boen (David Van Buren) will 4th batch of aircraft contract from “cost plus” mode to “fixed price plus bonus” mode, which is the F-35 production project for the first time using this mode, Pentagon officials plan to in the first five batches of aircraft acquisition also continue to use this model to reduce the government’s financial risk. 4th batch of aircraft purchase contract is the first time the U.S. military ordered F-35C.

target price depends largely on the purchase quantity. Air Force will purchase 10 F-35A (depending on the price may purchase one); Marine Corps procurement of 16 F-35B, and another one had planned to deliver to the UK, but the British do not intend to use the recently announced F-35B fleet, the aircraft will be used as a test. Britain to give up making the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B and Italy to become the only potential users; U.S. Navy procurement of four F-35C, far, C-type is the most expensive and most immature type.

LRIP IV contract, the Government will bear the financial risk beyond the target price of 20%. Any excess of the limits of the costs are borne the JSF prime contractor Lockheed Martin company.

Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 program general manager Tom Mubobiqi (Tom Burbage) said the goal of these units also include some of the manufacturing cost of production aircraft not directly related to additional items, such as test equipment. Therefore, the Government’s unit price is higher than the target company’s unit for delivery (URF) prices, both sets of data follow the same prices lower curve.

Lockheed Martin refused to disclose the commercial competitive URF prices in the international market, F-35 is still with the JAS-39, EF2000 and the F/A-18E/F and other models to compete. In the 124 years of F/A-18E/F and E/A-18G procurement contracts on the basis of, F-18E/F unit price of about $ 42.7 million (not including 2 engines).

Bobi Qi said, in general, the Pentagon said the unit price is higher than Lockheed Martin’s high price URF 3% -4%. No need to debate the real price, it is only a small number of U.S. Department of Defense is not important. Only international partners will care about this data.

Lockheed Martin decided to accept the added bonus of a fixed-price contract model in an effort to eliminate the debate about costs and the cost proved to the world’s confidence.

government source said, if the realization of the target price, the cost relative to the first F-35A will be dropped by more than $ 100 million, making the international market competitiveness has increased. Three groups before the initial small batch-type machine unit are as follows: first batch (all F-35A) to $ 221.2 million; 2nd batch of F-35A is for the $ 161.7 million, F-35B (in this batch first purchase) to $ 160.7 million; the first three batches of F-35A is $ 128,200,000, F-35B $ 128 million.

4 aircraft procurement contracts awarded to Lockheed Martin signed the F-35 orders doubled. Bobi Qi said, double the number per order, unit prices will fall 25% -28%. Lockheed Martin plans to eventually sell 3100 F-35, and hope that the average F-35A URF price down to $ 60 million or so.

most of the F-35 subcontractors are to accept fixed-price contract model, and the British BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman American negotiations are underway, they are Lockheed Martin F -35 greatest partner in the project, responsible for part of the airframe manufacturers.

4th batch of aircraft, even though the contract just signed soon, Bobi Qi said he still hopes in June 2011 on the signing of a number of aircraft under contract. (China Aviation Industry Development Research Center Wang Rui)