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F-35 general sacked by Pentagon F-35 general sacked by Pentagon
(about 19 hours later)
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has sacked the marine general overseeing a $40bn (£25bn) project to build the next generation strike fighter jet.US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has sacked the marine general overseeing a $40bn (£25bn) project to build the next generation strike fighter jet.
F-35 programme chief Maj Gen David Heinz will be replaced by a yet to be named higher ranking general.
Mr Gates said the F-35 programme had been plagued by problems and failed to hit performance targets.Mr Gates said the F-35 programme had been plagued by problems and failed to hit performance targets.
He also said Lockheed Martin, the US corporation responsible for building the jet, would not be awarded $614m in performance-related payouts. He also said Lockheed Martin, the US firm making the jet, would not receive $614m in performance-related payouts.
The Pentagon wants the F-35 to replace most of its ageing fighter jets.The Pentagon wants the F-35 to replace most of its ageing fighter jets.
"The progress and performance of the F-35 over the past two years has not been what it should," Mr Gates told a news conference on the Pentagon's proposed budget."The progress and performance of the F-35 over the past two years has not been what it should," Mr Gates told a news conference on the Pentagon's proposed budget.
He added that "a number of key goals and benchmarks were not met".He added that "a number of key goals and benchmarks were not met".