Lord Doesn't Expect F-35 Full-Rate Production Decision To Slip Beyond March 2021,Despite JSE Test Delay

摘要

The Pentagon's top acquisition official said Thursday she does not expect a full-rate production decision for the F-35 to slip beyond March 2021 despite a delay in testing with the program's new Joint Simulation Environment (JSE). "I am confident that we are going to meet the March date. We have the entire governmentindustry team focused on that," Ellen Lord, the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, told reporters. "There have been setbacks within the JSE from COVID. It is a very close working environment. The team, very quickly, moved out to follow all CDC guidelines to make sure we had a safe working environment." Lord acknowledged that a critical test with the F-35 JSE has been pushed to December, adding that she is visiting the Pax River Naval Air Station next week to check on the program's progress.