The Senate Armed Services Committee will meet at the subcommittee level to mark up the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 20th and 21st. The full committee is scheduled to take up the legislation on Thursday the 22nd.

At Taxpayers for Common Sense, we have analyzed the budget history of the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35 program. On track to be the most expensive weapon system in history, at close to $400 billion, we believe the program warrants a second look. Just in FY15 the Pentagon is asking for more than $8 billion for this single aircraft system when you add up procurement, R&D, and military construction. Of that $8 billion, $6.3 billion is for procurement across the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy.  And that $6.3 billion is an astonishing 7% of the total Pentagon weapons procurement request.

To put it in context, the entire Army Reserve (personnel, O&M, military construction and procurement excluding the National Guard and Reserve Equipment account) costs $8 billion. So, ask yourself, which is a better use of that much of the taxpayers’ money?

Our report is “The Unaffordable F-35: Budget History and Alternatives” and it can be found at our website: www.taxpayer.net.

Here is a copy of the Executive Summary.  And here is a direct link to the full report.

Very Best Regards,

Wendy J. Jordan

Senior Policy Analyst
Taxpayers for Common Sense