A purported plan by the Navy and Marine Corps to delay acquisition of their versions of the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as a means to free money in the 2008 budget for other needs sounds like business as usual at the Pentagon. If true, it would undoubtedly raise production havoc and drive up costs. The Air Force’s game plan—a multiyear buy for the F-22 as a hedge against F-35 program delays—begins to look mighty shrewd.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.