An item in Jan. 16’s Daily Report stated the Air Force was losing two F-35s as part of the Fiscal 2014 omnibus budget. The omnibus cuts two F-35As and one F-35C from advanced procurement funds, which are funds specifically requested to procure long lead items to support Fiscal 2015 buys. The budget reduction means the F-35 program cannot initiate long lead purchases for more than 28 F-35As in Fiscal 2015, F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Joe DellaVedova told the Daily Report. “We foresee little impact on the overall program,” he noted, adding the total procurement number of 2,443 aircraft remains unchanged.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.