FIGHTER DRIVE REVS UP.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer PALMDALE- In a rare show of political unity, California's congressional delegation and Gov. Gray Davis have signed a letter seeking a Pentagon study of potential production sites of the Joint Strike Fighter A strike fighter is a fighter aircraft which is also capable of attacking surface targets, including ships. It differs from an attack aircraft in that the aircraft remains a capable fighter. - a study that could help bring work to Palmdale. The letter seeks a cost-effectiveness study of potential production sites for the fighter program. The location of the production of the aircraft would be up to the company that wins the contract, but Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley officials believe it would difficult for a contractor to ignore Palmdale if such a study showed it was the most cost-effective site. The letter was initiated by Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, whose district includes Palmdale, and Rep. Loretta Sanchez Loretta Sanchez (born January 7 1960), an American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997. She currently represents the 47th Congressional District of California (map) in central Orange County. , D-Garden Grove. The letter was signed by Davis, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein (born June 22, 1933) is the senior U.S. Senator from California, having held office as a senator since 1992. She is a member of the Democratic Party. and Barbara Boxer Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California. A member of the Democratic Party, Boxer was first elected to the U.S. , and 50 California congressional members. ``I am heartened by the bipartisan nature of this support,'' McKeon said. ``Bringing the Joint Strike Fighter to California will save federal taxpayers at least $2.2 billion, as well as provide at least 10,000 high-paying jobs here.'' The Joint Strike Fighter program The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) became synonymous with the later F-35 Lightning II, however until 2001 the term was applied to the competition between the Boeing X-32 and Lockheed Martin X-35. could be worth $750 billion to $1 trillion dollars over the life of the program, generating 10,000 production jobs and 40,000 subcontractor jobs. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are building rival prototypes in Palmdale, but each company plans to go elsewhere for the actual production if it wins the competition. Lockheed Martin intends to produce the airplane in Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas, 18th-largest city in the United States[1], and voted one of "America’s Most Livable Communities. ; Boeing said it will produce the airplane in St. Louis. Antelope Valley officials believe that Site 4 at Air Force Plant 42, where the B-2 stealth bombers were built, would be a better choice as the production site. A consultant's report, financed by the city of Palmdale and the state Trade and Commerce Agency, says contractors could save $2.2 billion by assemblying the aircraft in Palmdale, including $932 million from a state tax credit program for research and development and $575.6 million from using a plant already configured for assemblying stealth aircraft. |
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