F-15s from the 67th Fighter Squadron at Kadena AB, Japan, deployed to a joint US Pacific Command exercise on Sept. 9. Exercise Valiant Shield, hosted at Andersen AFB, Guam, focuses on air, land, sea, and cyberspace dominance in the Pacific. This is an important exercise because it shows our ability to relocate, integrate and demonstrate our ability to reach out to any adversary and provide air dominance,” said Capt. Angelo Pelligrini, 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge, according to a Pacific Air Forces news release. “Our pilots will get valuable training by integrating with the Navy, Marine Corps and other military units.”
The F-35 Joint Program Office has officially announced plans to issue multiple sole-source contracts to Pratt & Whitney to upgrade the fighter’s F135 engine—a widely expected move after Pentagon officials indicated they would do so earlier this year instead of developing an entirely new engine.