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ProPublica writer Theodoric Meyer says the Joint Strike Fighter being built in Fort Worth is by far the most expensive military project underway, but is unlikely to be wacked hard by sequestration cuts.
In a February briefing on sequestration, the White House singled out the Joint Strike Fighter saying the Navy would “reduce procurement” of the plane.
Lockheed, with some 17,000 employees in Fort Worth, told KERA: “Until sequestration is permanently eliminated, there will be an overhang on our industry that stifles investment in plants, equipment, people, and future research and development.”
While the F-35 is billions over budget and years behind schedule, the program seems to be doing better recently. A Government Accountability Office report released this week found that Lockheed has made progress in improving supply and manufacturing processes and addressing technical problems. "We've made enormous program over the last few years," Steve O'Bryan, Lockheed's vice president of F-35 business development, told the Washington Post.
