말많고 탈많던 F-35의 저율생산 승인이 났습니다. 잘알려진바와 같이 F-35는 공군/해군/해병대의 F-16, A-10, F-18, AV-8B 해리어등을 대체하는 기종으로서 미국외에 여러나라에서 개발에(영국외에는 물주로) 참여하고 있습니다. 요즈음 영국과 상당히 시끄러웠지만 일단 미국을 기술이전 협상 테이블로 끌어낸 상태이고, 노르웨이는 F-35 철회한(확실한가?) 상태... 터키는 몇개월내에 F-35를 구매할지 유러파이터를 구매할지 결정하게 된다고 합니다. 그리고 호주에서는 다운그레이드 가능성 때문에 F-35의 비난여론이 팽배해있고 노동당에서는 비싸도 F-22를 구매하자는 의견도 나왔습니다. 가격은 둘째치고 F-35도 온전히 넘겨줄지 의문스러운 마당에 F-22를 다운그레이드 없이 제공할거라고 보이지는 않습니다. 미국내에서도 F-35 A/B/C 중에 하나는 죽이겠다고 칼을 꺼내들었다가 다시 칼집으로 돌려보낸 상태이고 숫자를 줄인다는 얘기는 계속해서 나오고 있지만... 아직까지는 공식적으로 2027년까지 2,560 억 달러(약 250조원) 2,593대의 전투기를 생산할 계획입니다. 이건 미국과 영국의 확정된 숫자이고 더 줄어들 가능성이 높습니다. 현재 X-35의 시험을 거친 후 F-35 ProtoType기가 제작되었고 계획보다 약간 늦어진 올해 10월경에 비행을 시작할 예정입니다. 이번에 저율생산이 시작되는 F-35는 내년에 작업을 시작해서 2009년에 납품할 예정이고, 구매기간이 긴 티타늄(가격이 올라서 난리라는)의 발주를 시작할거라고 합니다. " http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=1818467&business=true " US steps toward F-35 fighter production Apr 7, 2006 — By Jim Wolf WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Department said on Friday it approved the first step toward production of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s <LMT.N> F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, the costliest weapons purchase program in history. The decision cleared Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier based on sales, to start tooling up for the first five F-35s to be built for the U.S. Air Force even though the aircraft has yet to fly. The United States is developing three variants of the single-engine, supersonic, radar-evading F-35 with Britain and seven other international partners. The project is expected to cost $256 billion through 2027 for the 2,593 aircraft that the United States and Britain plan to buy. The export market could be worth another $200 billion, Pentagon officials have estimated. In addition to Britain, which has committed $2 billion to the project, overseas partners are Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway. A memorandum signed by Kenneth Krieg, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, gave the Pentagon's F-35 program office a green light to contract for "long lead" materials, such as titanium, needed for the first "low-rate initial production" lot. Lockheed's top subcontractors on the project are Northrop Grumman Corp. <NOC.N>, BAE Systems Plc <BA.L> and United Technologies Corp.'s <UTX.N> Pratt & Whitney unit. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office had urged the Pentagon to delay F-35 production until it has a better grip on costs and the technical maturity of major systems. Less than one percent of the F-35 test program has been completed. Lockheed wants to start production next year for a first delivery in 2009 even though the aircraft is not scheduled to fly for the first time until October. "The F-35 possesses the highest levels of technical maturity and lowest levels of technical risk of any fighter in history at this stage of development," said Thomas Jurkowsky, a Lockheed spokesman. Page 2 of 2) The company is confident about moving into low-rate production thanks to advances in digital-design tools, manufacturing technology and experience gained in building its F-22A "Raptor" fighter, he said. The F-35 is designed to replace a host of aging warplanes, including U.S. Air Force A-10s and F-16s, U.S. Navy F/A-18s, U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18s, plus British Harrier jump-jets and Sea Harriers. Copyright 2006 Reuters News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.