$24M-plane wrangle

Press, 4 September 1982, Page 8

$24M-plane wrangle

NZPA Washington The United States Navy is increasing its pressure on the aircraft makers, McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, to cut the price of their FlB Hornet fighter-bomber by threatening to cancel future purchases. About $4O billion in proposed contracts are in jeopardy, Navy officials say. In place of the FlB, they said, the Navy would buy more Fl 4 Tomcat fighters and A 6 Intruder bombers to fill the dual fighter-bomber role now envisioned for the FlB. , The Navy is concerned

about the rising price of the FlB and has told the builders they must trim the cost by November to $22.5 million each or face loss of contracts. Last year, the Navy paid $24.1 million for the single-seat, twin-engine Hornet. The initial threat to the firms came a month ago when defence officials indicated that FlB purchases would be cut if the plane’s price was not lowered. That was confirmed this week by the Navy Secretary, Mr John Lehman, in an interview with the “Washington Post.” “The price (of the F 18)

must come down or we will not buy it,” he said. The Navy had wanted a single plane to fill the dual role of carrier-based airdefence fighter, now played by its ageing Phantoms, and a bomber to support troops ashore, now played by the Corsair 11. The FlB, which can be converted from fighter to attack version in less than an hour by exchanging some external equipment, was designed for the dual role. Navy pilots say the Fl 4 is a better fighter and the A 6 a better bomber. But they say the FlB performs both roles nearly as well.