September 26, 2006
Washington, D.C. -- Congressman Steve Chabot (R-Cincinnati) announced today that $340 million in federal funding for the critical F-136 Joint Strike Fighter competitive engine program has been restored in the Defense Appropriations Act. The President’s FY 2007 budget had eliminated the alternate engine plan, a joint endeavor between GE-Aviation, based in Evendale, and Rolls Royce.
Chabot, along with the local congressional delegation, worked to restore the funding, which will protect 800 local jobs. The alternative engine program is expected to result in long-term benefits through quality improvements, reduced operational risks and cost savings.
“The F-136 competitive engine program is vital to both the nation and Cincinnati,” said Chabot. “By increasing competition in the Joint Strike Fighter program, the General Electric F-136 JSF engine will reduce overall costs and ultimately create a more reliable fighter jet. This program has already benefited the region through the creation of hundreds of jobs and it is important to continue.”
For over ten years, Congress has supported a stronger Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program pointing to the benefits of competition for the JSF propulsion system. In fact, the program recently earned the praise of visiting Arizona Senator John McCain who commented on the importance of competition. The benefits of having a competitive second engine source include lower acquisition costs, reduced development and operational risk, and long term savings in life cycle costs. General Electric and their partners, Rolls Royce, North American have worked tirelessly to develop a second engine source for the F-136 Joint Strike Fighter.
