Eight airmen were injured last week at Nellis AFB, Nev., when an outdoor shelter that shades aircraft on the flight line collapsed under the force of extreme winds. The airmen suffered minor injuries, were evacuated to the base hospital for treatment, and subsequently discharged, according to a Nellis release. Eleven F-16s and two A-10s were in individual bays under the canopy at the time. Nellis officials said the incident is under investigation and they are assessing the full extent of the damage to the aircraft and other items. They described the Sept 8 event as a microburst—a sudden, violent downdraft of air over a small area. The base experienced wind gusts as high as 67 miles per hour that day, reported the Las Vegas Sun.
Exasperated with the delays to the F-35’s Tech Refresh 3 update—which has held up deliveries of completed fighters since last fall—the House Armed Services Committee wants to slash the military services’ fiscal 2025 F-35 purchase by at least 10 aircraft and as much as 20.