F-35 program cost drops

The estimated acquisition cost of the F-35 program dropped $11.5 billion over the past year, the congressional Government Accountability Office reported Monday in its annual report on U.S. arms programs. GAO now estimates the Pentagon will spend $332.3 billion over coming decades to develop the radar-evading F-35 jet and buy a total of 2,457 aircraft, about 3.3 percent less than last year's estimate. The new estimate was provided in fiscal year 2014 dollars. (Source: Reuters, Breaking Defense, 03/31/14) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training program.