Lockheed Martin officials have been sweating bullets over the last few weeks, as lawmakers bandied talk of wide-ranging budget cuts to fund the huge hurricane relief effort. Talk naturally turned to defense programs, including the company’s venerated Joint Strike Fighter program. But F-35 Program Vice President Tom Burbage tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that despite the probable reduction in the number of aircraft the US military may purchase, the cost of the fighter will remain steady. Burbage doesn’t think cuts this early in the program would affect production rates. “We think the front end will remain pretty stable,” he said.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.