Global Competition Opens For F-35 Sustainment Deals

The F-35 Joint Program Office has a new way to sustain the global fleet, such as this F-35B model. (Lockheed Martin)

Jul. 6, 2014 - by AARON MEHTA – Defense News

WASHINGTON — The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) has begun carrying out a game-changing plan for sustainment on a global scale, one that relies heavily on competition to help drive down costs.

The plan divides the F-35 user base into three regions of North America, Europe and the Pacific, with the JPO assessing what sustainment work is needed for each region and what can be done with a more centralized system, US Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, the head of the JPO, told Defense News in a June 30 interview.

This marks the first details of how the fighter jets will be maintained on a global scale. Until now, it had been unclear whether original equipment manufacturers would form the core of sustainment, or whether it would be opened to competition.

Read full article