Despite delays that have plagued the F-35 strike fighter program, prime contractor Lockheed Martin said it’s tracking ahead of schedule so far this year with the aircraft’s flight testing. Through May 31, there were a total of 378 test flights of all three F-35 variants versus the 297 planned by that date, according to a company release. These flights accomplished 3,342 test points, far more than the 2,217 called for during this period, said Lockheed. Air Force F-35A aircraft flew 183 times during the first five months of the year. USAF test aircraft AF-1 reached Mach 1.53 during one flight, the fastest speed yet for the F-35 fleet. AF-7, an F-35A production aircraft, completed a 4.1-hour test mission, the longest duration sortie for an F-35 thus far.
The Space Force should take bold, decisive steps—and soon—to develop the capabilities and architecture needed to support more flexible, dynamic operations in orbit and counter Chinese aggression and technological progress, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
