Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Massachusetts) has said the F-35 fighter aircraft modernization program could cost the Defense Department approximately $16 billion through 2024, Reuters reported Thursday.Tsongas cited DoD’s F-35 program data at a House Armed Services Committee subpanel hearing Wednesday and said the modernization cost estimate for the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 jet includes $10.8 billion for software development and $5.4 billion for upgrade deployment and other procurement efforts.
Navy Vice Adm. Mathias Winter, head of the F-35 joint program office, told reporters that approximately $3.7 billion of the estimated total software development costs will be shouldered by international clients in the next seven years.
Winter said he expects Lockheed to deliver 91 F-35s this year.
