General Electric-Rolls Royce issued a statement shortly after the hearing refuting Gates’ comments (see: Gates Questions F136 Performance, above). “The Secretary’s comments contradict the detailed assessment from the Department of Defense, which has consistently awarded very good and excellent ratings to the F136,” reads an excerpt. The Pentagon wants to ax the F136 in favor of Pratt & Whitney’s F135 as the sole powerplant for the F-35, but the F136 program continues to enjoy strong support on Capitol Hill. (GE-Rolls Royce statement)
U.S. military pilots avoid health care or misrepresent and withhold health information from their flight surgeon at greater rates than civilian pilots out of fear they might lose their flying status, according to a new study conducted by Air Force and civilian medical experts. Though the population size of 264…