Gates Fires JSF Program Manager - NAVAIR commander, New JSF ProgramManager

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2010/02/01/ga...ogram-manager/

Gates Fires JSF Program Manager

By Colin Clark Monday, February 1st, 2010 2:03 pm
Posted in Air, International, Policy, Rumors
UPDATED: Vice Adm. David Venlet, NAVAIR commander, Likely New JSF
Program Manager; LM Issues Statement

The bombshell of budget day: Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced
that the prpgram manager of the Joint Strike Fighter program was being
canned and would be replaced by a three– star general.

“One cannot absorb the additional costs in this program and the delays
without people being held accountable,� Gates said during the question
and answer period of his budget briefing today. The latest word on the
replacement of Marine Maj. Gen. David Heinz is that Vice Adm. David
Venlet, NAVAIR commander, will lead the program. (This may be the
first time a three star general has run a Defense Department program,
indicating just how important the JSF is to Gates and to the Obama
administration.)

Initial congressional reaction was biting. Although a congressional
aide said he was not “surprised� by Gates’ decision, the aide also
made clear that he thought Heinz was a fall guy. “He is not the first
to provide his best professional judgment and be fired for it becaise
it is contrary to White House and Second Gates’ politics,� the aide
said in an email. The aide wrote back speculating that Gen. Heinz may
well have ticked off Gates with his quiet but persistent support for a
second engine for the F-​​135. Heinz told me and others several times
that a second engine could well result in lower costs and provide
operational benefits by lessening the program’s dependence on a single
engine. “Gates does not like this kind of thinking, no matter how much
sense it makes. Heinz wasn’t in lock step with the politics — he is
interested in future fighter force readiness and affordability,� the
aide said.

Gates, of course, has opposed the second engine, although he has, so
far, been unwilling to go to the mat over the F136.

Gates, who visited Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant where the F-​​35
is built and made clear his vigorous support for the program, admitted
“there were more problems than we were aware of when I visited Fort
Worth.� But he said Ash Carter, head of Pentagon acquisition, had done
a good job of pushing the program’s restructure since then. Among the
fundamental changes to the program is that the Joint Estimating Team’s
cost estimate is now the official estimate, rather than the official
program management office’s estimate.

In addition, Gates said he is keeping $614 million in contractor fees.
Lockheed Martin, we are sure, agreed to this without hesitation. Late
in the day (about 8 p.m.) Lockheed sent out this statement: “We have
been working with the Secretary and Dr. Carter on a plan to get the
program back on track and are committed to stabilizing F-​​35 cost,
affordability and to fielding the aircraft on time. Secretary Gates
today made it very clear that all procurement programs will have
accountability and we support that position,� said spokesman Chris
Geisel. “We understand what’s expected -– there is a clear set of
performance and milestone criteria –- and we are confident we will
achieve them.�