Man with a mission

But then it occurred to me that his disposition might be a big part of the reason he was appointed to the position in the first place, after reportedly being talked out of an imminent retirement to head up the world’s largest military program. Industry sources who have worked with Venlet on other programs, including the US Navy’s AIM-9X program in the late ’90s and early 2000s say he is an incredibly honest, professional and methodical officer – maybe the JSF program needs someone who is measured and methodical in his ways to head it up.

VADM Venlet’s predecessor, US Marine Corps MAJGEN David Heinz was well known for his brash comments and effusiveness for the JSF program, notably enthusiastically telling a media conference at the 2009 Paris Airshow that he believed more than 6000 F-35s would be built for US, partner and non partner air arms! Although the two-star Heinz was ostensibly replaced in the role because US Defense Secretary Robert Gates wanted to upgrade the position to that of a three star officer, Pentagon insiders report that Heinz was made a scapegoat for the JSF program’s issues which publicly materialised in late 2009 and early 2010. Being an outspoken supporter for the second JSF engine, the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136, probably didn’t help Heinz’s career either – Gates has been trying unsuccessfully to kill that program for the past four years running, and may finally get his way if the FY12 budget ever gets passed, despite 80 per cent of the development funds for that engine having already been spent! Gates visited Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth production line in September 2009 for the rollout of the first F-35C, CF-1, and he proudly declared that all was well with the program. But less than six months later, a Pentagon Cost Analysis and Performance Evaluation, or CAPE, report indicated the program would exceed its planned 2002 budget by more than 50 per cent, and thus the program was placed under a Congressional ‘Nunn-McCurdy’ review pending it being declared essential for US national security, and subsequently being recertified by Congress. The real state of the program probably lay somewhere in between.

Outwardly, Gates appeared shocked by the sudden turnaround in the program, but it is unlikely there was any insight lacking before then. At the risk of sounding cynical, in late 2009 it was in Gates’ interest to say all was well with the JSF while he justified to Congress the killing off of the USAF F-22 program at just 187 aircraft, but once he got his way with the F-22, it’s amazing that he suddenly found true enlightenment with the JSF! No doubt Venlet was appointed based in part on his vast experience and talents in tactical aviation program management as the head of the US Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and previous roles, but no doubt his outward calmness and consideration gives him an air of honesty and credibility that the JSF program can only benefit from.