Rising above local politics for the good of the country is exactly what’s needed on the Joint Strike Fighter engine program (Sun Journal editorial, “Congress can’t muster courage to do the right thing,” June 12); supporting a 30-year, $100 billion monopoly for the over-budget, under-performing Pratt & Whitney engine is hardly the way to accomplish it.

The GE/Rolls-Royce F136 engine brings much-needed competition to the JSF engine program — potentially saving taxpayers $20 billion, according to the independent Government Accountability Office. And continued development of this engine won’t cost taxpayers a penny through fiscal year 2012. The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team has made an unprecedented offer to self-fund the continued development of its engine — which is already 80 percent complete. That means taxpayers will see all of the benefits of competition, which range from lower prices to enhanced engine quality, at zero additional cost or risk.

As the editorial notes, sometimes it takes courage for members of Congress to do the right thing. However, allowing the FET to continue developing its JSF engine — on its own dime — doesn’t require courage; it simply requires common sense.

George McLaren, Indianapolis, Ind.

Editor’s note: McLaren is communications director for the GE/Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team.