Inside Defense:
Air Force officials say the service is still targeting an annual F-35 production rate of 60 aircraft, but in the near term, the focus is on maintaining a “manageable ramp” in order to avoid undue strain on its production and logistics infrastructure.
The Air Force’s five-year outlook for F-35 production hasn’t shifted in the last year. Its fiscal year 2019 budget request, released Feb. 12, includes 48 jets in FY-19 and FY-20 and 54 in FY-21, FY-22 and FY-23. That slow ramp, which pushes a 60-jet buy rate outside of the future years defense program, is the same as what was projected in the FY-18 budget.
In the past, the service has attributed its lower procurement rate to budget constraints, but during the Air Force budget rollout briefing this week, Air Force Budget Deputy Carolyn Gleason said the ramp rate laid out in the FY-19 request reflects more of a strategic decision than one driven by budget concerns. Getting to 60 jets per year would not only add procurement cost, but it would require additional infrastructure and training support and would mean more jets would require modifications once the full slate of F-35 capabilities is fielded.
