Gates announces joint strike fighter program shakeup: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced a restructuring in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter office Feb. 1, to provide increased oversight of a program he conceded has fallen behind in meeting key benchmarks.
Secretary Gates also announced that he has withheld $614 million in performance fees from the lead contractor, Lockheed-Martin, 'since the taxpayers should not have to bear the entire burden of getting the JSF program on track.'
'We have restructured the F-35 program and believe it is on track to become the backbone of U.S. air superiority for the next generation,' Secretary Gates said during a Pentagon news conference. 'Nonetheless, the progress and performance of F-35, over the last two years, has not been what it should, as a number of key goals and benchmarks were not met.'
To fix the situation, the secretary announced a change in leadership at the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, which had been headed by Marine Maj. Gen. David R. Heinz. A three-star officer yet to be named will replace him, Secretary Gates said, the higher rank reflecting the importance of the program to the future of military aviation.
Secretary Gates, who visited Lockheed Martin's F-35 production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, Aug. 31, 2009, said he has become concerned about the program's progress as Ashton Carter, undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, became more involved in the program."
