The first flight of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter takes place. The conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) version, piloted by company test pilot Jon Beesley, flew for 30 minutes from the company facility at Fort Worth, Texas.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.

