EA-18G News. The Navy isn't even forcing us to read tea leaves anymore.

via Reuters.

Dec 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy on Friday said it was in talks with Boeing Co about slowing production of its EA-18G electronic attack jets to keep the St. Louis facility running through the end of 2017, after Congress approved funding for 15 more planes.
The Navy is seeking to modify Boeing's existing contract for EA-18G jets, or Growlers, and F/A-18 Super Hornets to add the extra jets funded by Congress in the fiscal 2015 U.S. budget, said Rob Koon, spokesman for the Navy's Naval Air Systems Command.
President Obama on Tuesday signed the fiscal 2015 spending bill into law. It includes $1.46 billion for 15 more Growlers, and up to $100 million to cover the cost of slowing the current production rate from three to two aircraft a month.
By building two jets a month instead of three, Boeing will be able to stretch jet orders through the end of 2017, preserving the tooling and jobs associated with the line for as long as possible.
Koon gave no details on the cost of "stretching" the production line, or when the two sides are likely to reach agreement on a modified contract.
Boeing spokeswoman Caroline Hutcheson said the company should be able to keep building planes through the end of 2017 given the added funding and an expected agreement with the Navy about slowing deliveries of jets already on order.
She said Boeing was ready to discuss possible additional orders with the Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense as they finalized their fiscal 2016 budget request.
Few details have emerged about the Navy's fiscal 2016 budget plans, but Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert last month told Reuters the Navy was looking at possible additional orders of Growlers for the period.

We don't need to read tea leaves or speculate about the Navy's stance on the F-35.

They're not sold.  Not at all.

This type of news must be shaking the F-35 partners to the core.  For the honest brokers like Australia, the Netherlands and maybe even the Brits and Canadians, this must be shocking.

I wonder what the classified briefings really are telling them?  The Navy is going full bore into Electronic Attack.  The funny thing?  The USAF can't contest the move.  They don't have electronic attack aircraft and gave the US Navy sole responsibility for the mission...which means that the Navy wanting to keep the EA-18G line open is a matter of national security...especially if they're right about the future of aerial warfare.