This assessment warned that the JSF aircraft faced an increased chance of crashing during training, in addition to the risk of runaway costs that might impact other modernisation efforts, according to an October 2009 briefing and military officials.
The briefing also cautioned against continued reliance on prime contractor Lockheed Martin to manage risk.
Prepared by Rear Admiral Donald Gaddis, assistant commander for research and engineering at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), the previously unreported October 29, 2009 briefing - excerpts of which were obtained by InsideDefense.com - offers an unusual critique of both the Pentagon's largest acquisition program and the JSF Joint Program Office, responsible for managing the F-35 program, by a Defense Department customer.