JSF Fuel Tests Rev Up: Lockheed Martin has begun testing of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s fuel system components, recently completing a “leak-free” fuel system checkout. Engineers and testers finished an extensive fuel system checkout on the first JSF and started a series of structural tests March 24. Company officials say that fuel leaks are typical for high performance fighter aircraft and believe the recent tests provide an “early indication the F-35 is a solid design.”
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.