An F-35A from the 461st Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, Calif., recently fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile for the first time, according to an Air Force Materiel Command release. Lockheed Martin chief test pilot David Nelson fired the missile from the first F-35A test aircraft, AF-1, at 6,000 feet during a test flight over the Pacific Sea Test Range. “The shot paves the way for the F-35 to utilize the weapon’s high off-boresight and targeting capabilities, increasing lethality in the visual arena,” according to the release.
While the Pentagon has signaled its intent to scale technology, field new systems faster, and work more with nontraditional vendors, a new report identifies persistent manufacturing capacity, resourcing, workforce, and modernization challenges that could hinder its ability to deliver on those goals.