Technicians at Nellis AFB, Nev., have completed an upgrade for the base’s first two F-35A fighters, installing the 2B software and avionics package on-site to save time, rather than sending them to a depot-level facility. The on-site work to the F-35As allow Nellis’ F-35s to stay at home and focus on tactics development and training activities as USAF pushes toward initial operational capability for the fleet. “Having only eight aircraft assigned to our unit, a 25-percent reduction puts the pressure on the maintainers to keep them flying,” aircraft maintenance unit production superintendent MSgt. Travis Hoogstraten said in a release Aug. 6. The 2B package expands the F-35’s flight envelope to include supersonic flight and more demanding maneuvers, and improves pilot interface and targeting abilities. Because of Nellis’ role in refining tactics for the F-35 fleet, “upgrading our aircraft to 2B is not only essential to Air Force initial operating capability, but the progression of the joint F-35 program,” added Hoogstraten. Working with Lockheed Martin, the unit managed to complete the first 1B-to-2B upgrade without impacting unit flying rates, in half the time it would have taken to send the aircraft elsewhere, according to the release. The first upgrade began in May and was finished in early July.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
