Appearing at a special March 14 Senate hearing on the Joint Strike Fighter alternate engine program—the one the Pentagon would like to cut—will be the United Kingdom’s top defense procurement official, Lord (Paul R.) Drayson. Drayson tells the London Telegraph that he plans to pursue more than just the question of whether keeping a second engine source is crucial to the program health. Drayson wants to hammer home the British need to have access to restricted JSF technology—specifically software—citing its role as chief international partner in the JSF program.
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.
