Lockheed Martin announced Wednesday that it has finished full-scale static testing of the F-35A, the conventional takeoff and landing version of the F-35 strike fighter. This testing was completed five months ahead of schedule, in less than half the time of legacy programs—and with “zero structural failures,” stated the company. “This was a major milestone, and the test results demonstrate that the F-35 has a fantastic airframe,” said Mick Ord, BAE Systems’ F-35 managing director. BAE is one of Lockheed’s principal F-35 industry partners. The static tests began last August and were conducted predominantly at BAE Systems’ facility in Brough, England, using AG-1, a dedicated F-35A test aircraft. The testing verified the strength and stability of the aircraft’s structure to 150 percent of its design limits, or 13.5 G’s. The F-35A is the configuration that the Air Force is buying.
The Air Force’s Kessel Run software factory is launching an effort to create the “next generation” of the service's Air Operations Centers, used to command, control, and coordinate aircraft movements around the globe.
