Even after reducing the scope of Block 4 F-35 upgrades, Lockheed Martin will still needs two years to develop and install planned improvements, the Government Accountability Office said in a new audit of the fighter program. Details about what upgrades will be carried into production, ...
F-35
S ixteen retired four-star generals joined Air & Space Forces leadership in a joint letter to Congress advocating for greater investment in F-35 fighters in fiscal 2026 and to fund the E-7 Wedgetail as an essential successor to the E-3...
The U.S. Air Force put two of its pilots in the cockpit of Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs during the large-scale Talisman Sabre exercise in Australia last week. The move, intended to strengthen interoperability among allies, provides U.S. Air Force pilots with a unique ...
U.S. Air Force F-35s recently operated from the Philippines for the first time ever as part of the latest edition of the Cope Thunder exercise.
Two F-15EX Eagle II fighters arrived for training at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 12 as the base gears up to receive a permanent fleet of the jets.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Air Force Reveals Range and Inventory Goals for F-47, CCAs By John A. Tirpak The F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter will have a combat radius greater than 1,000 miles—nearly double that of the F-22—and the Air Force plans to acquire...
We love letters! Write to us at letters@afa.org. To be published, letters should be timely, relevant and concise. Include your name and location. Letters may be edited for space and the editors have final say on which are published. The...
The Cold War Air Force was bigger, deeper, and readier than today’s. Here’s why it’s time for a reset. For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States faces a true peer potential adversary in...
As futuristic aviation programs gain priority, the F-35—the only in-production, fifth-generation American fighter—is facing new headwinds. Fresh debate over its challenges and its potential in the coming months will shape its future role in the force.
Funding to build the next two batches of F-35 fighters, originally expected to be finalized by the end of June, won’t be awarded to Lockheed Martin until sometime this summer, the jet's Joint Program Office told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The U.S. Air Force must grow its 5th-gen fleet—and soon. Today, there is one aircraft in production that can answer that call: the F-35. The Air Force, Secretary Pete Hegseth, President Trump, and Congress must boost F-35 acquisition as rapidly as possible, writes Doug Birkey, ...

