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, ...
The 500th F-35A built for the U.S. Air Force is on duty with the Florida Air National Guard, the service and contractor Lockheed Martin confirmed Aug. 21. It's the latest big number for the F-35 fleet. In September 2024, Lockheed delivered its 1,000th F-35 fighter, ...
Air Force Pushes Ahead with 2 Hypersonic Missile Programs  By John A. Tirpak The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) is delayed and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the...
Lockheed Martin chief executive officer Jim Taiclet renewed his call for a substantial upgrade of the F-35 with technologies his company developed for the Next-Generation Air Dominance program, which it lost out on to Boeing in March. Taiclet said the upgrade would be an important ...
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.