Lockheed Martin F-35 program manager Dan Crowley on Tuesday downplayed reports that the F-35’s cost of ownership will far outstrip that of current generation fighters. Lockheed responded quickly last month when news first circulated of a leaked Navy analysis that has sent the sea service—and now presumably the Air Force—back to their calculators to determine whether the F-35 is really affordable. Crowley said the estimate “compared apples to oranges,” penalizing F-35 for some start-up costs that older aircraft “basically … got for free.” The company will work with Naval Air Systems Command in the coming weeks to compare costs “side by side,” and Crowley said he is confident the F-35 will hold its own under the scrutiny.
Promotions to the Space Force’s second highest enlisted grade, senior master sergeant, have surged to the highest level in the young service’s history, bolstering the senior NCO corps as officials plan to aggressively expand the force and especially the enlisted corps.