At least three news reports now say the second Joint Strike Fighter engine program—the one under contract to the General Electric-Rolls Royce team—is doomed. One by Reuters news service quotes knowledgeable defense analyst Loren Thompson, who says flatly that the Pentagon “killed the alternative engine.” That may put paid to the optimism expressed by Rolls Royce last month. Of course, the final Pentagon word won’t come until the planned early February simultaneous release of the QDR and the 2007 defense budget proposal.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…

