Chris Pocock has been covering the defense beat for AIN for over 30&nbsp;years. He is a British citizen and a graduate of the University of Cambridge. Chris worked in the air cargo business for ten years before becoming a full-time writer in 1983. He subsequently edited two air cargo journals before becoming AIN’s Defense Editor. He retired from that position in 2018, but still contributes to the publication. Chris has written extensively on aerial reconnaissance, including four books on the history of the U-2 spyplane. He also lectures on this and other topics related to intelligence-gathering in the Cold War.

Defense Correspondent

Chris Pocock

The average unit production cost (APUC) for the F-35 is now predicted to be as high as $112 million in current dollars, according to a Pentagon review of the program conducted later last year, which led to a restructuring of the program. The APUC estimate does not amortize the cost of system design and development (SDD). That cost has now risen by $3.2 billion, to $53.2 billion. The SDD phase has been extended by 13 months, and will now end in March 2015. The full-rate production decision (also known as Milestone C) will now be April 2016, after a year of operational test and evaluation. Although the U.S. Marine Corps is still predicting initial operating capability (IOC) in 2012, the IOCs for the U.S. Navy and Air Force have slipped by two and three years respectively to 2016. Only two months ago, a Lockheed Martin official insisted, “The IOCs will hold.”
Ashton Carter, Pentagon senior acquisition official, told a special session of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee last week that “affordability must be restored.” The number of low-rate initial production (LRIP) jets to be procured over the next five fiscal years has been reduced by 122. However, an official from the Government Accountability Office warned senators that more than 300 LRIP aircraft would still be procured before the end of SDD, and Carter acknowledged that there was still “unprecedented concurrency” between F-35 development and production. Air Force Maj. Gen. Clyde Moore, the acting head of the F-35 Joint Program Office, noted that the Pentagon “did not uncover any technology or manufacturing show-stoppers in its review, and did not de-scope performance requirements.”

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Massive Cost Increase Projected for Lockheed Martin F-35

The average unit production cost for the F-35 is now predicted to be as high as $112 million in current dollars.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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Trump calls for a ban on Bombardier products

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News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

ATR 72 aircraft performs pre-modification flight in Toulouse

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Curt Epstein

Only the piston aircraft segment posted a decline

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Hanneke Weitering

Two captains held the prototype 33 feet above the water for 30 seconds

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News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Icing approval would open year-round service to northern communities

Horizon Begins Icing Tests for Cavorite X7 eVTOL

Deal to close this year

Bombardier To Grow Manufacturing Capacity with MHICA Buy

David Donald

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

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