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.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
