Pentagon stops work on alternate JSF engine - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Pentagon stops work on alternate JSF engine

The Defense Department issued a stop-work order Thursday for an alternative engine for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft. The order comes after the Bush and Obama administrations and the Pentagon pushed to end finding for the F136 engine.

It pulls $450 million that would have gone to General Electric and Rolls-Royce, the extra engine’s manufacturers.

“In our view, it is a waste of taxpayer money that can be used to fund higher defense priorities, and should be ended now,” a DoD statement said.

The order is in place for as long as 90 days, pending the final resolution of the alternative engine program, DoD said.

GE Aviation spokesman Rick Kennedy said Thursday that the company would continue to self-fund the project for the immediate future.

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter includes three versions of a similar airplane that will eventually be used by the Air Force, Marines and Navy. Each would use the same engine.