Caught in the JET wash

The Pentagon’s Joint Estimate Team, or JET as it is known, has reportedly come back with its second negative report in a year on the affordability and schedule of the troubled JSF program, saying it “affirms earlier findings that substantially more money and time will be required.”

While the report is yet to be made public, the JET reportedly briefed US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on its outcomes on November 6, while elements of it suggesting its general gist have previously been leaked to various US media outlets. These outlets have reported the JET as saying the program may run an additional two years more than its current schedule and cost up to US$16.6 billion more to develop. Although it is unclear what milestone this is looking out to, it is believed to encompass the 2010 to 2015 timeframe prior to full rate production kicking off.