Critical Breach

Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter just told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will breach critical Nunn-McCurdy spending caps.

Defense Department Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Christine Fox said in prepared testimony that officials Nunn-McCurdy notification is expected by April 1 and certification should be complete by June.

Fox also just told lawmakers that F-35s will cost between $80 million and $95 million per copy using 2002 dollars. Back in 2002, the planes were expected to cost $50 million per copy.

In addition to Carter and Fox, Pentagon Director of Operational Test and Evaluation Michael Gilmore and DOD Acting Program Executive Officer for the Joint Strike Fighter Program Air Force Maj. Gen. Clyde Moore and Michael Sullivan from the Government Accountability Office are all testifying this morning.