Lockheed Martin is fighting the bill to repair it's jacked up F-35's...the US govt has become Lockheed Martin's bitch...

via Bloomberg

Lockheed Martin Corp. is contesting a repair bill of $119 million to $180 million on the $406.1 billion program to develop and build F-35 jets, according to Pentagon contract data.

The dispute over poor workmanship that resulted in corrosion damage last year on some of the fighter jets illustrates the disputes that arise from time to time between the Pentagon and its biggest contractor over its costliest weapons program.

The problem was linked to a primer that’s supposed to be applied as a protective layer on aluminum fasteners to prevent corrosion. The Defense Department temporarily stopped deliveries of F-35s for the month ending Oct. 20 to assess the issue. Delivery of five planes is currently on pause until the dispute over who pays is resolved.

Lockheed stands to make billions as production of the F-35 ramps up. The Defense Department estimates jet procurement will cost about $292 billion, according to its latest Selected Acquisition Report on the fighter. The final fiscal 2018 omnibus budget bill approved $10.2 billion for 90 aircraft, which is 20 aircraft and $2.6 billion more than the Trump administration’s request.

Story here. 

When you first buy drugs from the drug dealer (so I'm told), you get great prices.  Sometimes the shit he sells is even free.

But once you're hooked and he knows it, that's when you become his bitch.

The US govt has become Lockheed Martin's bitch.

The solution is clear.  It's similar to what a drug abuser needs to do.  First he must acknowledge the problem, then he needs to seek help for the problem, then after all that he  needs to stop cold turkey.

No half measures just stops doing the shit that is slowly killing him (or quickly if mojo, meth, flakka and other weird shit is his drug of choice).

The same applies to the US govt with regard to Lockheed Martin.  The time for negotiations is over.  Accept the fact that this program is screwed beyond recognition.  Start implementing a plan B and make it stick.

In other words the govt needs to kick the fantasy F-35 habit.