Appropriators also cut a major chunk—$270 million—out of R&D for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. They cited “instability in the aircraft’s design” as the chief problem.
The Air Force is renaming its traditional aviation bonus program in 2024 and continuing a new, experimental second program, ordered by Congress, aimed at getting aviators to extend their commitment sooner and for longer. While the programs can’t be doubled-up, aviators may be able to move from one to the…