Letter: The art of an aircraft deal

As a former carrier pilot and a close follower of naval aviation, I had expected that when President Donald Trump visited the Boeing plant in Charleston last week he would have announced that the Department of Defense would reduce or cancel its buy of Lockheed F-35C fighters and significantly increase acquisition of Boeing F/A-18E/F fighter/attack aircraft.

I still believe that, in the future, the DOD will do so. Here’s why:

Trump has criticized the costs of the F-35 fighter program as well as the replacement expense of the two Boeing-built presidential aircraft.

The Navy does not believe it needs a carrier plane with the advanced capabilities of the F-35C. And with the same funds it has been allotted for F-35C fighters, the Navy could buy a lot more Boeing F/A-18E/F aircraft, even though they are less capable than the F-35C.

Boeing, with the increased revenues it would get from producing more F/A-18E/F aircraft, would be able to apply some of its profits to reducing the costs of presidential aircraft.

The upshot: The total acquisition of the Marine Corps F-35B would probably remain unchanged. Boeing would get a much-needed extension of its F/A-18E/F production line and get to keep producing the replacement aircraft for Air Force One. The Navy would get the fighters it needs. Lockheed would end up as the ultimate loser because, overall, its revenue would decline by not manufacturing as many F-35C fighters for the Navy.

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 8:10 AM with the headline "Letter: The art of an aircraft deal."