The Pentagon needs to cut about 43 percent of the annual cost to sustain the F-35A by 2036 in order to meet sustainment affordability goals, according to a new report to Congress. The December report , crafted by Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord, updates the department's F-35 affordability "constraints," using a cost-per-tail-per-year metric to track long-term sustainment cost targets. According to the updated estimates, the annual cost to fly an F-35A is $7.1 million -- about $3 million higher than...
