Gen. David Goldfein, chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said he has been in talks with his international counterparts to discuss ways on how to maintain the supply chain for the F-35 fighter jet program during the coronavirus pandemic, Breaking Defense reported Wednesday.
He told reporters Wednesday he has begun a discussion with chiefs of staff of Canadian and Italian air forces and other international air chiefs and has scheduled phone calls with industry leaders.
“How do we collaborate and ensure that the tier-two and tier-three suppliers remain healthy through this COVID period, so that we have a healthy industrial base at the back end of it?,” Goldfein said.
Goldfein said he is also closely watching the KC-46 tanker, T-7A trainer jet and B-21 bomber programs and is working with Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, commander of U.S. Space Command and fellow Wash100 awardee, to monitor major space programs and address possible GPS interference from Ligado’s future 5G network.
He added that no major programs have demonstrated any indication of being “in a critical state … at risk of cancelation” due to COVID-19.
About The Wash100
This year represents our sixth annual Wash100 Award selection. The Wash100 is the premier group of private and public sector leaders selected by Executive Mosaic’s organizational and editorial leadership as the most influential leaders in the GovCon sector. These leaders demonstrate skills in leadership, innovation, achievement, and vision.
Visit the Wash100 site to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2020 Wash100 Award. On the site, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2020.
