President-Elect Trump Continues Military Aircraft Cost-Cutting Crusade | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.12.25

Airborne-NextGen-05.13.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.14.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-05.15.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.16.25

Sat, Dec 24, 2016

President-Elect Trump Continues Military Aircraft Cost-Cutting Crusade

Asks Boeing To Price Out F-18 Super Hornet 'Comparable' To Lockheed's JSF

President-elect Donald Trump isn't done trying to get the costs of some military programs down. After squawking about the price of a new Air Force One aircraft under development, and criticizing the costs of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, he's now gone back to Boeing with a request to "cost out" an F/A-18 Super Hornet that would be "comparable" to the new 5th generation fighter.

In typical Trump fashion, the President-elect was very public about his request ... posting it on Twitter. "Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!" he posted on Thursday afternoon.

Fox News reports that Lockheed Martin did not have any immediate comment about the Tweet. But Marcus Weisgerber, vice president of the Pentagon Press Association, tweeted that the two jets are not comparable. While the Super Hornet may cost less, it is not a 5th generation stealth aircraft. But, he said, Trump's very public move "really turns up the heat on @LockheedMartin entering contract negotiation for the next 100 F-35s. The price is really gonna fall now."

President-elect Trump met with the CEOs of both companies at his resort at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. Both CEOs said they discussed lowering project costs with the incoming President.

When Trump tweeted earlier this month that the F-35 was too expensive and he would cut "billions" in military purchases, Lockheed said it has made significant cost reductions in the F-35, and the aircraft is now expected to cost about $85 million (each) in 2019 and 2020.

The F-35 program represents about 20 percent of Lockheed's total 2015 revenue, according to the company.

(Images from file)

FMI: http://greatagain.gov

Advertisement

More News

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.15.25)

"Our 6,000th helicopter built in Canada demonstrates our commitment to manufacturing aircraft capable of performing the most critical missions, as well as our dedication to contrib>[...]

NTSB Final Report: Avia Stroitel AC-5M

(Pilot) Applied Gentle Aft Pressure On The Control Stick To Regain Control, But An Inflight Separation Of The Right Wing Ensued Analysis: The pilot stated the airspeed may have bee>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.15.25)

Aero Linx: Taylorcraft Foundation, Inc. The Foundation typically participates in 3 events each year: Sun-n-Fun; Lakeland Florida USA. Flyin Taylorcraft, Aeronca and Funk: Barber Ai>[...]

Airborne 05.09.25: Frecce Tricolori MidAir, A6M3 Zero Returns, Houthis Bombed

Also: Hartzell Pathfinder Carbon Prop, RAF Flyby, Qatar's BIG Boeing Order?, ‘Luxury Aircraft Tax’ Three MB-339 jets from the Italian Air Force’s aerobatic demons>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.16.25)

Aero Linx: International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA) IFATCA is the recognised international organisation representing air traffic controller associ>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC