Among the concerns created by China’s January test of an anti-satellite capability is the threat posed by the debris it caused. The head of US Strategic Command, Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, testified last month that earlier tests conducted by the US and Russia had not created the problems generated by Beijing’s secretive exploit. Now, Reuters reports that Air Force Space Command has said it is tracking more than 1,600 pieces of debris from the Chinese test. Jim Wolf reports that, the day before the test, AFSPC had been monitoring a total of some 14,400 pieces, which means the test added “more than 10 percent of the 50-year total in an instant.”
It'll take up to 18 months for Lockheed Martin to deliver the 100 or so F-35s that went directly from production line to storage, awaiting the completion of Tech Refresh 3 testing. Customers haven't complained about the order in which the backlog is being delivered.