The Air Force was enamored of buying some of the short takeoff/vertical landing version of the F-35, Keys said, but has lost some of its ardor for the idea. While the aircraft would have been useful for deployment to short strips, widely dispersed, it pays a hefty penalty in range and payload. A final decision hasn’t been made, Keys said, nor does it have to be for some time to come. The STOVL F-35 is the last to start coming off the assembly line, and the Air Force will have time to evaluate the conventional takeoff version before committing to another type, he said.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…