|
"It's actually making progress," Defense Undersecretary Frank
Kendall told Reuters during the annual Reagan National Defense
Forum in southern California.
"They've lost some schedule from what we had targeted for them,
but not a dramatic amount. I believe they will get there."
Kendall said he would meet Raytheon Chief Executive Tom Kennedy
for another high-level quarterly review of the program next
month.
Kendall decided in October to continue work on Raytheon's
Operational Control System (OCX) program after a mandatory
live-or-die review triggered when the program breached critical
cost thresholds earlier this year.
At the time, Kendall said he concluded the program was needed
for national security and there were no alternatives that
offered acceptable capability to meet requirements at less cost.
Raytheon has vowed to continue working closely with the Air
Force and the Pentagon to ensure the success of the program,
which saw costs increase sharply due to increased cybersecurity
equipment and other technical issues.
Kendall's latest comments were more upbeat than in July, when he
told reporters that Raytheon's work on the program was "a mixed
bag", showing progress in some areas but continuing problems in
others.
The Pentagon earlier this year said the estimated cost of the
OCX program has rise 16.3 percent, or $586.4 million, to $4.2
billion in 2015, even before a two-year delay that would further
inflate costs.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Nick Macfie)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
