Joint strike fighter acquisition reform : will it fly? : hearing before the Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations of the Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixth Congress, second session, May 10, 2000.

This General Accounting Office report discusses the application of best commercial practices to Department of Defense weapon acquisitions in general and to the Joint Strike Fighter in particular. After having done hundreds of reviews of major weapon acquisitions over the last 20 years, GAO has seen many of the same problems recur-cost increases, schedule delays, and performance problems. Over the last 4 years, GAO has undertaken a body of work to examine weapon acquisition issues from a different, more cross-cutting perspective. Specifically, GAO has examined the best product development practices of leading commercial firms. Collectively, its reviews have included the practices of over 20 leading commercial firms that represent a variety of industries, including electronics, satellite communications, automotive, medical, and aircraft. Leading commercial firms are getting the kind of results that DOD seeks: more sophisticated products developed in less time and cost than their predecessors. GAO's work shows that DOD can learn valuable lessons from the commercial sector to get better and more predictable outcomes from weapon system development programs. DOD has taken steps to reflect best commercial practices in its acquisition policies. However, the real test of these policies is in how they influence individual decisions, such as the upcoming engineering and manufacturing development decision on the Joint Strike Fighter program. This program is to produce three fighter variants to meet multiservice requirements: conventional flight for the Air Force, short take-off and landing for the Marine Corps, and carrier operations for the Navy. The program will also provide aircraft to the British royal Navy and Air Force. As currently planned, the program will cost about $200 billion to develop and procure over 3,000 aircraft and related support equipment.

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