U.S. military budget to start funding post-F-35 'X-plane:' Pentagon

[unhappycamper]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/28/us-usa-pentagon-fighter-idUSKBN0L123E20150128



U.S. military budget to start funding post-F-35 'X-plane:' Pentagon
WASHINGTON
Wed Jan 28, 2015 12:03pm EST

(Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Wednesday its fiscal 2016 budget proposal will fund early technology development and prototyping of a "next-generation X-plane" that would eventually succeed the F-35 fighter jet being developed and built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

Defense Undersecretary Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's chief arms buyer, said the funding would be part of a new "aerospace innovation initiative" aimed at ensuring that the U.S. military continued to dominate the skies despite development of so-called fifth-generation stealth fighters by China and others.

He told the House Armed Services Committee the initiative would be headed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, with help from the Air Force and the Navy.

Speaking with reporters during a break in the hearing, Kendall declined to give details on the amount of funding involved in the new initiative since the Pentagon's budget will not be delivered to Congress until Monday.

[GeorgeGist]

1. MUST. DOMINATE.

UBER. ALLES.

[DetlefK]

2. So... They admit that the F35 will be outdated by the time it reaches service?

[unhappycamper]

3. It already is outdated.

It was outdated before Lockheed inked the contract.