Lockheed Martin dedicated an F-35 hangar at its aircraft assembly plant in Fort Worth, Tex., to the men and women who built, flew, and maintained the F-35’s namesake, the P-38 Lightning. The Oct. 4 ceremony featured veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam War, reported the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. At the event, Lockheed Martin officials displayed the rendering of a mural that will be displayed on the hangar’s exterior. The mural includes the words “P-38 Lightning Hangar: The Legacy Continues.” Company spokesman Joe LeMarca told the Daily Report: “The P-38 Lightning was just as revolutionary to air dominance in its day as its namesake, the F-35 Lightning II, is now. It is out of this spirit of innovation that we named F-35 after the P-38. Like the original Lightning, the F-35 Lightning II provides a revolutionary capability in a time of great uncertainty.”
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.