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Why I love Farnborough

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Stephen Trimble

on July 13, 2008 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBacks (0) |

The Farnborough Air Show doesn't officially start until tomorrow, and I've only been in London for less than 24 hours, but I already have my favorite story of the year.

The article below will be printed in tomorrow's Flight Daily News. Here's your sneak-peek.

Top JSF official blasts Boeing for barbs
Stephen Trimble / London
Boeing is "spreading lies and half-truths" about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme in a "desperate" effort to bolster domestic and foreign sales of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, JSF programme executive Lt Gen Charles "CR" Davis tells Flight Daily News.
In an unusually candid, exclusive interview on the eve of the Farnborough Air Show, Davis blasted Boeing executives for making what he thinks are grossly inappropriate statements about the health of his acquisition programme.
"If Boeing has to say something negative about JSF to sell their aircraft, that tells me there is something wrong with their aircraft," Davis said.
Contacted for a response, Tom Bell, a Boeing business development official, said he was unaware of the specific comments that triggered Davis' outburst, and so he could not give a direct response.
More generally, however, Bell pointed out that two JSF development partners - Australia and Denmark - have already acquired or are considering acquiring F/A-18E/F's instead.
"People with greater insight than I are looking at the offerings available," Bell said. "Let people draw their own conclusions about why."
Davis said he has neither contacted Boeing executives about his accusations, nor does he intend to. Asked if he was waiting for Boeing to initiate contact, he quickly repied: "Yes, I am."
Davis said he has read two recent articles - one in the US press and one in the foreign press - quoting Boeing executives saying the JSF programme would likely be delayed again and further exceed development costs by more than $10 billion.
It was pointed out to Davis that Boeing had delivered hundreds of Super Hornets ontime and on-budget, while the F-35's programme costs have increased by about 50% and the development phase has been delayed more than 18 months since contract award in 2001.
Davis responded that the F-35's record can not be compared to the F/A-18E/F. The F/A-18E/F is based on an existing airframe and re-used the avionics of the original aircraft.
"That's the baseline they're measured against. How hard is that?" Davis asked.
In reply, Bell said: "I think characterizing the F/A-18E/F as a just a simple programme is maybe a little simplistic in and of itself. Boeing is very proud of delivering increased capability at decreased costs and delivering real capability to the warfighter now."

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The Farnborough Air Show doesn't officially start until tomorrow, and I've only been in London for less than 24 hours, but I already have my favorite story of the year.

The article below will be printed in tomorrow's Flight Daily News. Here's your sneak-peek.

\n\n

Top JSF official blasts Boeing for barbs
Stephen Trimble / London
Boeing is\n\"spreading lies and half-truths\" about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)\nprogramme in a \"desperate\" effort to bolster domestic and\nforeign sales of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, JSF programme executive Lt Gen\nCharles \"CR\" Davis tells Flight Daily News.
In an\nunusually candid, exclusive interview on the eve of the Farnborough Air Show, Davis blasted Boeing\nexecutives for making what he thinks are grossly inappropriate statements about\nthe health of his acquisition programme.
\"If Boeing\nhas to say something negative about JSF to sell their aircraft, that tells me\nthere is something wrong with their aircraft,\" Davis said.
Contacted\nfor a response, Tom Bell, a Boeing business development official, said he was\nunaware of the specific comments that triggered Davis' outburst, and so he could not give a\ndirect response.
More\ngenerally, however, Bell pointed out that two\nJSF development partners - Australia\nand Denmark\n- have already acquired or are considering acquiring F/A-18E/F's instead.
\"People\nwith greater insight than I are looking at the offerings available,\" Bell said. \"Let people\ndraw their own conclusions about why.\"
Davis said he has neither contacted\nBoeing executives about his accusations, nor does he intend to. Asked if he was\nwaiting for Boeing to initiate contact, he quickly repied: \"Yes, I am.\"
Davis\nsaid he has read two recent articles - one in the US press and one in the foreign\npress - quoting Boeing executives saying the JSF programme would likely be\ndelayed again and further exceed development costs by more than \$10 billion.
It was\npointed out to Davis\nthat Boeing had delivered hundreds of Super Hornets ontime and on-budget, while\nthe F-35's programme costs have increased by about 50% and the development\nphase has been delayed more than 18 months since contract award in 2001.
Davis responded that the F-35's record\ncan not be compared to the F/A-18E/F. The F/A-18E/F is based on an existing\nairframe and re-used the avionics of the original aircraft.
\"That's the\nbaseline they're measured against. How hard is that?\" Davis asked.
In reply, Bell said: \"I think characterizing the F/A-18E/F as a\njust a simple programme is maybe a little simplistic in and of itself. Boeing\nis very proud of delivering increased capability at decreased costs and\ndelivering real capability to the warfighter now.\"

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