By STEVE GUEST November 5, 2015 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claims to be the “the best in terms of the military,” confused the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program with the B-3 Long Range Strike Bomber program. Radio host Hugh Hewitt asked Trump if America needs a strategic bomber or “should we just stick with […]
By ANA RADELAT November 5, 2015 WASHINGTON — For years, the Pentagon was inflexible when talking about the number of F-35s it wants to buy — 2,443 — pushing back against any suggestions that it should trim that shopping list. But no more. The high price tag of the F-35, a Lockheed Martin aircraft whose engine […]
By Tyler Rogoway October 30, 2015 Presidential candidate Donald Trump is finally offering some specifics when it comes to defense policy, and on conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt’s program today he floated the possibility of cancelling the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program if he gets elected. According to the Air Force Times, Trump said: […]
By Phillip Swarts October 30, 2015 Donald Trump wants to tell the F-35 that it’s fired. The businessman and Republican presidential candidate questioned the wisdom of purchasing the joint strike fighter during an appearance on a conservative radio talk show Oct. 22. “When they say that this cannot perform as well as the planes we […]
By Phillip Swarts November 2, 2015 Questions about the cost of the F-35 helmet come at a time when budget pressures have forced the Air Force to make radical cuts to end strength, modernization and training. The result is a concern that more than half of the force is “not sufficiently ready” for highend battle, Air […]
By Aaron Mehta November 2, 2015 The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John McCain, R-Ariz., said Oct. 21 the U.S. will have to cut the numbers of F-35 fighter jets it will purchase. In a brief comment to reporters, McCain seemed to signal that the total projected buy for the Pentagon’s most costly […]
By Phillip Swarts November 2, 2015 When the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35 Lightning II, finally takes to the skies on its first official mission, it will be one of the most advanced and one of the most expensive planes ever. And the pilots flying the aircraft will be wearing the most advanced and most […]
By Lara Seligman October 12, 2015 Top Air Force officials have continued to hammer home the message that if the Pentagon is forced to operate under a stopgap spending measure next year, the service’s ability to buy new aircraft and modernize its existing fleet is in peril. Congress passed a 10-week continuing resolution Sept. 30 […]
The challenges tend to obscure progress for major programs like the joint strike fighter, but the JSF has been on a winning streak. [FULL VIDEO]