News of the partnership circulated quickly and below is some of the coverage from today’s announcement:
Bloomberg
News: “House
Chairman Says GE Will Fund F-35 Engine”
Key Excerpt: General Electric Co. will self-fund development of its alternative
engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in fiscal 2012, the chairman of
the House Armed Services Committee said Thursday.
Cincinnati.com: “GE
to US: We'll pay to develop engine”
Key Excerpt: GE said the offer requires no appropriated government funding in
fiscal year 2012, nor does it hinge upon any financial commitment from the
government in 2013 or beyond.
BusinessWire: “Fighter
Engine Team Funds JSF Engine Through FY 2012”
Key Excerpt: The Fighter Engine Team believes that at a time of enormous fiscal
stress, competition is essential to saving taxpayer dollars. The independent
Government Accounting Office has estimated competition would save $20 billion
over the life of the program.
Defense
News: “GE,
Rolls-Royce To Fund F-35 Alt-Engine in 2012”
Key Excerpt: GE and Rolls Royce are aware of the current stresses on the
defense budget and the taxpayer, so I am pleased to announce that instead of
being part of the problem they have decided to be part of the solution.
Flightglobal: “Congress
votes to rescue F136 from extinction”
Key Excerpt: The House Armed Services Committee forwarded a fiscal year 2012
authorization bill on 3 May that triggers new engine competitions under two
scenarios.
DOD
Buzz: “HASC
chair praises GE bid to self-fund F136”
Key Excerpt: “I’m curious how protecting a monopoly for a program that will
span decades and cost $400 billion is in the best interest of the
taxpayer,” McKeon said Thursday in a speech at the conservative Heritage
Foundation. “It sounds like the classic ‘penny wise, pound
foolish’ purchasing strategy that has hounded the Pentagon for years.”