[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.

                          ____________________