Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley plans to reveal his choice of a name for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter by June 30, according to the Dallas Morning News. Yet, Richard Whittle reports, that the name may not see light of day until early July, when Lockheed Martin is trying to arrange for President Bush to visit the company’s Fort Worth production facility. According to Whittle, the favored name is Lightning II, after the P-38 Lightning of World War II fame.
The House Armed Services Committee on June 4 approved an amendment to a key defense policy bill that would bar the Air Force from retiring E-3 Sentry aircraft through fiscal 2027.