While much has been written about the funding jitters of the coalition partner countries involved in the Joint Strike Fighter, BAE officials tell us that the first Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing F-35 components are being produced at the company’s Samlesbury, U.K. facility. Components of the aft fuselage and empennage are being designed and built across the pond and will be shipped to Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas facility for assembly over the next 12 months, according to JSF Deputy Systems Manager for BAE Tom Fillingham. The STOVL variant of the aircraft will replace the Harriers currently used by the Royal Air Force and Navy, as well as the U.S. Marine Corps.
The Air Force plans to conduct more intensive training—and Congress is set to help by boosting funding for exercises and so-called “campaigning” by hundreds of millions of dollars, particularly in the Pacific.
