The chief of naval operations today downplayed an internal service report that found the Pentagon would need about $100 billion more than expected to operate the multiservice F-35 Joint Strike Fighter over its lifespan. Earlier this month, Naval Air Systems Command forecast the total operations and support cost for the Navy and Marine Corps JSF variants to be 40 percent higher than similar costs to support the service's legacy naval aircraft, F/A-18s and AV-8s. It also placed the total cost...
