The Office of the S
ecretary of Defense is closely watching the progress of the F-35 stealth fighter program and is reserving the option of making additional funding adjustments should the F-35 joint estimating team, along with other Pentagon overseers, determine that the aircraft’s development is faltering, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Wednesday. Already OSD has pumped extra billions into the program as part of Defense Secretary’s Robert Gates’ drive to solidify the F-35 as the tactical fighter of the future and bolster the aircraft’s test phase to avoid delays. Continue
A half-dozen pilots from one of the Air Force’s premier F-16 units, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., have been awarded one of the service’s highest decorations for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.