[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 24, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1777-S1778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
F-35 JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. I
believe this is a critical defense acquisition program which will
greatly strengthen not only our national security, but that of our
closest allies and partners.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program began more than 20 years ago.
In an age where emerging technologies are introduced daily and where we
have become accustomed to instant gratification, we sometimes grow
impatient with how long it takes to achieve war-winning capabilities--
and we should. Yet today, the F-35 stands on the threshold of being
used effectively and decisively in operational missions.
During its journey, the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office has
encountered its fair share of setbacks, and--at times--faulty
leadership decisions by those in government as well as those in the
private sector. From the Pentagon itself, we heard the accusation of
``acquisition malpractice.''
The senior Senator from Arizona, John McCain, has repeatedly pointed
out these shortfalls and missteps. I echo his frustrations.
In response to the accusations and grievances about the F-35 program,
one could have just thrown one's hands up in frustration. Yet through
the renewed determination of the F-35's Joint Strike Program Office
under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, what once was the
poster child for acquisition reform has reached vital milestones and
will soon be used by our combat forces.
During his tenure, General Bogdan has demanded and achieved greater
performance and accountability among his own staff and his industry
partners. He has established and is executing a corrective plan. With
that said, there is still much more to do. The problems General Bogdan
and the collective F-35 team are overcoming did not occur in an
instant, nor will they be fixed in an instant.
Accordingly, today, I call on my colleagues to support the F-35 and
provide the F-35 Program Office with the backing it needs to achieve
critical future milestones.
In addition, the Congress must continue to challenge the Department,
the F-35 Program Office, and the program's industrial partners to
reduce not only each aircraft's initial purchase price, but the cost of
using and maintaining this strike fighter in the decades that follow.
As history teaches us, upwards of 80 percent of the total ownership
costs of a weapon system resides not in the purchase price, but in its
use and resulting maintenance. This means the Department must pay
critical attention now to the development and execution of a robust F-
35 sustainment strategy to ensure long term costs are reduced.
We must also not forget the current purchase price of the F-35
exceeds $110 million per aircraft. It is inevitable that the price of
the F-35 will come down as the numbers of aircraft produced goes up.
But the quest for price reduction must be central to our current and
future efforts if we are to be able to procure the number of aircraft
required to properly execute our deterrent strategies and, if
necessary, war plans. Indeed, price will have a dramatic effect on the
ability of our allies to purchase the F-35. Therefore, I challenge both
the Department and our defense contractors to work toward achieving
what many experts agree is an obtainable goal: a procurement price of
less than $80 million per aircraft, and as close to $60 million per
aircraft as possible. If we do this, the current program of record for
more than 3,000 aircraft will naturally increase. My personal desire
would be to see over 6,000 of these aircraft safeguarding our precious
liberties and those of our allies.
This is an ambitious objective, but it is based upon achieving what
is best for America and its allies. And I believe everyone in the
Department of Defense, the F-35 Program Office, and, yes, the employees
of our Nation's defense contractors have this as their central goal.
Therefore, I am reminded of a story from our history about the
industrialist Collis Potter Huntington. He was one of the so-called
``Big Four'' of the western railroads during the late 1800s and built
the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the first transcontinental
railroad. He also led and developed other interstate lines such as the
Southern Pacific Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, known
simply as the C&O. As Huntington furthered the C&O's extension through
the Virginia peninsula, he opened the pathway for West Virginia's coal
industry to reach the coal piers in the harbor of Hampton Roads. Seeing
a need for export shipping, he started the Newport News Shipbuilding
and Drydock Company in 1886.
Huntington started a long tradition of superb shipbuilding, and he is
also credited with giving the shipyard its motto. The motto simply
states: ``We will build good ships here. At a profit if we can. At a
loss if we must. But always good ships.'' This motto is emblazoned on a
plaque and fixed to a granite monument at one of the entrances to the
yard. This motto defined the mindset of generations of ship builders at
the yard.
In 1968, the privately held Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock
Company merged with another company. Thereafter, the ``Good Ship''
monument was removed due to its misalignment with the ``new'' company's
goals.
[[Page S1778]]
As a testament to the character of the workers who built many of our
Nation's great warships, the shipyard almost came to a standstill,
leading to the monument's eventual return.
The ``Good Ship'' motto is a lesson for us all, but especially for
the F-35 Program Office and its industry partners. We should all rally
around a ``Good Strike Fighter'' motto. After all, these jets are being
built for our men and women in uniform, to protect our rights and
liberties as well as those of our allies.
The fighting spirit of the United States and her allies can enable
the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to emerge from its challenges like the
mythical phoenix: reborn, regenerated and renewed. But for this to
succeed, we must commit ourselves to excellence--in essence, the ``Good
Strike Fighter'' motto. The war fighter, the American people, our
allies and partners, and the whole free world are depending on it.
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