Lockheed Martin has completed assembly of the first production F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and, on Feb. 19, moved it out of the factory in Fort Worth, Tex., to tank it up on fuel. The first F-35 off the assembly line is USAF’s conventional takeoff and landing version, which is slated to begin flight tests this fall. First, though, it must go through extensive ground testing.
A major South Carolina military base that serves as a key Air Force logistics hub was renamed after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on Aug. 10 in a ceremony led by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham.