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F-35

F-35s Leave Middle East After Deployment to Deter Iran and Russia

Oct. 6, 2023 | By Chris Gordon
U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters that deployed to the Middle East to deter Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf and push back against Russian bullying in the skies over Syria have left the region, according to service officials.

Lockheed Boss: F-35 Tech Refresh-3 Coming in Mid-2024, Will Be ‘Worth The Wait’

Oct. 4, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet thinks completing flight testing of the F-35 Tech Refresh-3 by the middle of 2024 is "manageable," saying the complex changes are taking time because the technologies are comparable to those in driverless cars and autonomous aircraft.

F-35 Program Manager: Full-Rate Decision Now Expected in Early 2024, But May Be Moot

Sept. 15, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
Declaring “full rate production” for the F-35 may come in early 2024, but the declaration may be moot, as the jet is already being built at nearly its maximum planned rate, Program Executive Officer Lt. Gen. Michael J. Schmidt said.

Air Force ‘Very Opposed’ to Lawmakers’ Proposed Cost Limits for CCAs

Sept. 12, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force is puzzled by House Armed Services Committe defense bill language that divides Collaborative Combat Aircraft into three categories and sets cost limits for each. Secretary Frank Kendall said the construct underlying the HASC language service is "not what we're doing," and the ...

F-35 Program Director: More Delays Possible for Tech Refresh-3 Update

Sept. 10, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
More delay may be in store for the TR-3 update of the F-35 fighter, program executive officer Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Test resources, software lab capacity, and too much concurrency have put the effort at least two years behind ...

Pentagon: No ‘Drop’ in Iran Threat to Ships, As F-35s and Harriers Keep Flying over the Gulf

Aug. 31, 2023 | By Chris Gordon
More than a month after the Pentagon announced it was sending Air Force F-35s, thousands of U.S. Marines and Sailors, and American warships to the Persian Gulf region in response to Iran’s attempted seizures of commercial vessels, officials say they see no signs the situation ...

Russian Harassment of US Drones over Syria Drops After F-35s Arrive in the Middle East

Aug. 28, 2023 | By Chris Gordon
After a series of incidents in the skies over Syria, Russian pilots appear to have become less aggressive toward U.S. forces following the arrival of F-35 stealth multirole fighters to the Middle East, according to U.S. officials. Originally tasked to deter Iranian attacks on commercial ...

F-35 Contracts Worth $1 Billion Will Support Long-Lead Work

Aug. 23, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
The Navy, which awards all F-35 contracts, has awarded deals to Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney for just over $1 billion, covering long-lead parts, F-35 helmets, and F135 engines.
Sponsored Story

Fueling the Future High-End Fight with the Joint Simulation Environment

Aug. 21, 2023 | By Patrick Reardon
The U.S. Air Force is all-in on the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) to revolutionize the way warfighters train for the future fight.  JSE—and HII’s Mission Technologies division, a contributor to the evolution of JSE—will be a central component in the...

Air Force General Teases New Details on CCAs Coming at AFA Conference in September

Aug. 8, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
New details of the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program—and how it will work together with similar efforts in the Navy—will emerge from AFA’s Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in September, USAF’s program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft said.

Tyndall Finally Has Its First Four F-35s. What Happens Next?

Aug. 4, 2023 | By David Roza
Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., received its first four F-35 fighter jets on Aug. 1, marking a historic milestone five years after Hurricane Michael devastated the base.

Lockheed Could Adapt F-22 Stealth Fuel Tanks for Other Aircraft Like F-35

Aug. 4, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
The low-drag, stealthy fuel tanks and pylons Lockheed Martin is developing for the F-22 are potentially applicable to other aircraft like the F-35, the head of Lockheed’s Integrated Fighter Group told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Lockheed executive O.J. Sanchez and the Air Force’s director ...

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