Government Watchdog Group Applauds Air Force’s Decision to Forego Second F-35 Engine

For Immediate Release                                                 Contact: Abigail Graham: (202) 417-7235

March 14, 2023                                                                        

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the United States Air Force announced it would not proceed with developing a second engine for the F-35. The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) applauds the Air Force’s latest move to forego the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) and save taxpayers billions of dollars as a result.

In response, David Williams, TPA President, offered the following comment:

“The Air Force’s decision not to pursue building a second engine for the F-35 is a huge win for all taxpayers. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that funding a new engine would have come with a price tag of $6 billion, and estimates suggest it would add more than $40 billion to the lifecycle cost of the program. The F-35 program began as a multi-billion-dollar program that now costs hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Given the AETP’s up-front and lasting costs, the program’s already-exuberant price tag and the current economic environment.

Not only was the cost an important factor to consider, but the functionality of the engine was also questionable. The AETP is unadaptable to the Marines’ F-35B or the Navy’s F-35C making it unwise to move forward. There is never a good time to pour additional taxpayer dollars into funding a second engine that would only function on the Air Force’s F-35A.

“From both a practical and financial standpoint, it’s certainly wise that the Air Force has decided to change course and use taxpayer dollars to upgrading the capabilities of the existing F135 engine instead.  TPA was proud to lead a campaign to halt the funding of the second engine and we are pleased that lawmakers and Pentagon officials agreed.” 

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Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.