Fórum Defesa Brasil

Updated US Military Aircraft Prices (Dec. 2006): JSF Leads Cost Inflation


(Source: defense-aerospace.com; published Apr. 11, 2006)



PARIS --- The cost of US combat aircraft has grown at a substantial rate during the past six months, according to the Pentagon’s latest Selected Acquisition Report, released on April 9 and covering the six months to Dec. 31, 2006.

The largest increase was posted by the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, whose total cost jumped by $23.3 billion (or +8.5 percent) in six months, equivalent to an annualized growth rate of 17%. This is much higher than any previous forecast for the program, and bodes ill for the program’s future affordability.

According to the Pentagon, the increase in JSF costs (from $276.4 billion to $299.8 billion) is “due primarily to a decrease in the annual procurement quantities and a stretch-out of the production buy schedule from fiscal year 2027 to fiscal year 2034.”

Other factors are “commodity market price increases (+$5,472.8 million), revised assumptions based on contractor LRIP I proposals and methodology (+$8,307.1 million), and support increase due to aircraft configuration update, revised procurement profile, and methodology changes (+$6,423.2 million),” the Pentagon said. These increases were partially offset by lower estimates of JSF prime and subcontractor labor rates (-$3,576.3 million) and for subcontractor costs (-$5,201.4 million).

If JSF wins the prize for fastest price inflation, other military combat aircraft programs also experienced significant increases: +4.3 percent for the F-22, +8.2 percent for the V-22 Osprey, +5.4 percent for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Much higher cost growth was experienced by the C-130 avionics modernization program (AMP), with an increase of +21.2 percent even though the number of aircraft being retrofitted was cut by 166.

In the field of helicopters, the cost of the US Army’s ARH (Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter) program increased by $1.78 billion, or +49.6 percent, but this was mostly due to the fact that production numbers jumped by 144 units to 512. Unit costs increased only marginally.


US Military Aircraft Prices

For the second time, we publish below the unit program costs of US selected military aircraft, based on the April 9 Selected Acquisition Report, in which the Pentagon estimates the total cost of each major program by computing actual costs to date, when available, or by estimating future anticipated costs, when not. All estimates include anticipated inflation allowances.

Our Program Cost per Unit (PCU) figures are computed by dividing the total cost of each program, as stated in the SAR, by the number of units to be produced.

Each PCU includes research and development costs, and some support costs. It is thus not an indication of actual acquisition prices.

It is, however, the simplest, clearest and most accessible measure of weapon costs publicly available.

It also offers two major advantages: it is practically immune to manipulation, and is a credible basis for direct comparisons between programs.


US Military Aircraft: Unit and Total Costs by Program

(Source: US DoD for data; defense-aerospace.com for calculations)
(Based on Selected Acquisition Reports to December 31, 2006)
(in $ millions)



References:

- Department of Defense Releases Selected Acquisition Reports (released April 9, 2007)
- SAR Program Acquisition Cost Summary (as of 31/12/2006)

-ends-

soultrain escreveu:Não é com o LCS precisamente que há um grande discusão e polémica acerca da sua estabilidade? Ou será do DDX?

[[]]'s

zela escreveu:

Picture: JSF helmet mounted display revealed
By Graham Warwick

Lockheed Martin has begun flying the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter with the helmet-mounted display (HMD) system that will be the primary source of flight information for pilots of the stealthy combat aircraft.

Developed by Vision Systems International (VSI), the HMD was used by chief test pilot Jon Beesley for the first time last week, on the 10th test flight of the F-35. Previous sorties were flown using only head-down instruments as the F-35 is the first fighter in decades to fly without head-up display (HUD).

The HMD provides a “virtual HUD” capability, says VSI, presenting flight symbology as well as displaying day and night imagery from the F-35’s 360° distributed-aperture infrared sensor and electro-optical targeting sensor.





Replacing the HUD with a helmet-mounted display requires precise head tracking and low-latency graphics processing, says VSI, the joint venture between Elbit Systems’ company EFW and Rockwell Collins that produces the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System used in current US fighters.

Developing the JSF HMD has presented tough challenges, particularly clearing the helmet-mounted optics for safe ejection at speeds up to 450kt (830km/h). VSI says the HMD demonstrated structural integrity up to 600kt in tests leading to flight certification.

Fonte: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/04/11/213198/picture-jsf-helmet-mounted-display-revealed.html

F-35 Lightning II News
Turkey to build fuselages of F-35s
March 22, 2007 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Undersecretary for the Defense

Industry Murat Bayar announces that Turkey will receive 100 F-35s starting from 2014.

The fuselage of the F-35 JSF will be manufactured in Turkey, under a $200 billion program. This contribution from Turkey to the project will be compensating for half of the $10 billion cost.

Besides than the United States and Turkey, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia are also participating in the project.

"Overall, 3,200 F-35s will be produced and 100 of them will be delivered to Turkish Air Forces starting from 2014 progressively," Bayar said.

The Joint Strike Fighter's concept demonstration phase was initiated in 1998 and Turkey joined the project in 2001.

Turkey is still in negotiations for the manufacturing of engines.

Turkey does not posses the technology to produce aircraft at the moment, Bayar noted. For this reason, consortiums are being sought, he added.

http://www.f-16.net/news_article2242.html

Degan escreveu:Sintra,

No es para asustarse tanto....el F-35 es un proyecto más "complejo" que el resto, por tratarse de 3 aviones en uno...no como el caso del F-22 o F-18E.
Además, la cantidad de aviones a ser comprados por la USAF nunca ha sido muy clara, va de 1750 a 1000....

Esperemos, es el único avión del mundo de 5° generación que entrará en servicio masibo en los próximos años...

amx2000 escreveu:


Isto aqui e capacete para corno, notem onde os chifres foram serrados, me lembra muito o filme hell boy.


Me desculpem mas nao me aguentei.

Ate+

old escreveu:

Degan escreveu:Sintra,

No es para asustarse tanto....el F-35 es un proyecto más "complejo" que el resto, por tratarse de 3 aviones en uno...no como el caso del F-22 o F-18E.
Además, la cantidad de aviones a ser comprados por la USAF nunca ha sido muy clara, va de 1750 a 1000....

Esperemos, es el único avión del mundo de 5° generación que entrará en servicio masibo en los próximos años...

Que no es para asustarse?

En Holanda y Australia no piensan lo mismo y han tenido que reducir sus pedidos porque el costo del avion se a disparado.

Si asusta si...

Jolly Roger escreveu:alguem poderia postar as atualizações e modernizações previstas para os proximos "blocks" do F22 e do F35 ???

abraço

# The Block 10 Initial Operational Capability configuration, to be fielded this year, will be multirole, with the option of four AMRAAMs being replaced by GBU-32 JDAMs. This provides an analogous deep-strike capability to the F-117A, but is more survivable.
# The Block 20 configuration is the baseline for the Global Strike Task Force (GSTF) fleet, and will include JSF common radar modules, a dedicated high-speed radar processor, and COTS technology CIP processors. The GBU-39/40 Small Diameter Bomb is introduced in the Block 20 aircraft by 2007, together with high resolution SAR radar modes, improved radar ECCM, two way voice and data MIDS/Link-16 capability, improved crew station software, and improved electronic countermeasures.
# The Block 30 configuration, planned for 2008-2011, extends the growth seen in the Block 20. Side-looking radar arrays provide a significant ISR capability in the aircraft along with enhancements to provide full Wild Weasel air defence suppression and time-critical target engagement capabilities. A Satcom terminal will provide continuous network connectivity during deep-strike profiles.
# The post-2011 Block 40 aircraft is intended to be the definitive Global Strike configuration, with incremental enhancements to Block 30 additions providing full sensor networking, range enhancements, integrated ISR capabilities, and a Helmet Mounted Display similar to the JSF.
# Longer term planning for a Block 50 envisages an Electronic Attack variant, replacing the lost EF-111A Raven. A stealthy stores pod for JDAM and SDB is under development to enable carriage on external pylons. As a strike aircraft the F/A-22A will have similar internal payloads to the JSF, but will be vastly more survivable due to better stealth.