Lockheed Told It Must Put F-35’s Success Over Profit

[unhappycamper]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-13/lockheed-told-it-must-put-f-35-s-success-over-profit.html

Lockheed Told It Must Put F-35’s Success Over Profit
By Tony Capaccio - 2012-11-14T05:00:02Z

Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) executives must put improving performance of the F-35 fighter, the Pentagon’s costliest program, over immediate profit, the military’s purchasing chief said.

“We want to know that when they come to us with an initiative or proposed solution to a problem that it’s motivated by the welfare of the program” and not “focused on a short- term business goal they are trying to accomplish,” Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, told reporters yesterday at the Pentagon.

The company is in the midst of prolonged negotiations with the Pentagon on orders for the fifth batch of F-35s, and the program has faced cost overruns and testing delays. Kendall said yesterday the resignation Nov. 9 of Lockheed’s incoming chief executive officer, Christopher Kubasik, because of a relationship with a subordinate won’t hurt the company’s dealings with the Pentagon.

“Lockheed has dealt with the situation appropriately” as it’s an internal matter, Kendall said. “We are adult professionals. We come to things with our own business perspectives, and we can meet and work out deals. This stuff isn’t personal.”

[Kolesar]

1. Can we just kill the F-35 and go back to F-18s or something else?

There is not much "value" in Luck-up's techno-marvel, IMHO

[Angleae]

3. Can we? Yes. The problem is China and Russia have caught up to them (F-15/16/18).

And they'll export those planes to anyone.

[Kolesar]

4. We're going to war with Russia and China?

Where do you sign up? Emphasis on the "second person"

[Angleae]

5. I've already done 8 years. When are you going?

[Kolesar]

6. I got you sussed ... eom

[Angleae]

2. I'm sure they'll get right on that.