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Joint Fighter's uncertain future
 A mock-up of the F-35 Lightning 2 was on display at Farnborough. YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- It is one of the most ambitious and daring fighter jet projects ever conceived by the Pentagon -- a four-year program involving the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines and nine partner countries. But as a mock-up version of Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter -- officially now known as the F-35 Lightning 2 -- made its Farnborough debut on Tuesday, the future of the program remained beset by doubts. The most advanced stealth fighter ever developed, the JSF was intended to satisfy air force, naval and marine requirements and replace aging jets such as the F-16 and British Harrier. In the U.S., lawmakers have expressed concerns about the financial implications of a program with an estimated $276 billion price tag. Yet there is also growing concern in military circles about how to protect technology being shared with its international partners -- the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway. "The question becomes when we start transferring some of the really interesting technology that some of the companies have invested significant sums of money for, how that comes into the hands of another country's aerospace industry and how they are going to use it, how they are going to treat it and guard it and protect it," General Charles Davis of the U.S. Air Force told CNN. The technology transfer issue has also prompted concerns over operational sovereignty in partner countries such as the UK. But Lockheed Martin Executive Vice President Tom Burbage said the issue had been overblown. "When a country buys the airplane and takes delivery and wants to own and operate it, will they have everything they need to do that? The answer to that is unequivocally yes," Burbage told CNN. "The U.S. government has said you will have everything you will need. An airplane operating off an international partner's air force or one of its ships, will be maintained just like ones in the United States. So, that has really been overblown. Now, has that permission been granted? No, because no one has ordered the airplane." Lockheed Martin hopes to sell and build 4,500 aircraft. But there are no orders yet for a plane costing $50 to 60 million, although 15 are currently being built in order to enable test flights by 2008. But last year the Pentagon almost pulled the plug as the costs of the project prompted the attention of Congress' Government Accountability Office and calls for lawmakers to delay approving spending for the JSF. "Some people think, when you get down to it, the only thing that saved it was the international participation," said Christopher Cavas of Defense News. "Because what do we tell all our partners? The program is unique: many, many partners with major investments. We've had a huge sales effort." Britain's BAE Systems, a development partner along with Northrop Grumman, was pleased when Prime Minister Tony Blair reportedly put pressure on the White House to keep backing the project. "We were thrilled when he made it clear we are a serious partner in this project, a prime contractor, and have invested a lot of money and we think the plane is a winner," BAE Vice President Tom Fillingham told CNN. Yet the British military has not committed to buying a single F-35. And while many militaries say they want it, with budgets so tight, do they really need it? If the U.S. Congress shuts off funding Gen. Davis said the project would die. "You bet it could still not happen," he said. "Our contract could fall through with the United State Air Force if Congress does something with our budget this year. So nothing is certain; it's year to year." CNN's Jim Boulden contributed to this report. 
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