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 Phillip Swarts October 5, 2015 Some pilots who have flown the F-35 Lightning II say its capabilities are “unmatched.” “This is by far the easiest airplane I’ve ever flown in my life,” said Col. Todd Canterbury, chief of the F-35 Integration Office Operations Division, during a Sept. 18 showing of the aircraft at Joint […]
By Phillip Swarts October 5, 2015 Air Force leaders are telling airmen to “explain why we need the F-35,” according to a leaked internal document from Secretary Deborah Lee James’ office. The eight-page internal memo, marked “Not for Public Release,” gives airmen a step-by-step guide on how to “debunk false narratives and inaccuracies reflected in […]
By Phillip Swarts October 5, 2015 Though designed for long-range engagements, there may be times when the F-35 Lightning II will be forced to get visual confirmation of a target, said Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the head of Air Combat Command. “Will there ever be a time where you’ll have to put your eyeball on somebody […]
By Lara Seligman October 12, 2015 Concerns about increased risk of injury to F-35 pilots during lowspeed ejections have prompted the military services to temporarily restrict pilots who weigh less than 136 pounds from flying the aircraft, Defense News, a sister publication of Air Force Times, has learned. During August tests of the ejection seat, […]
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 […]
By Gareth Jennings September 1, 2015 Lockheed Martin has been contracted to deliver Block 3F software for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter for the US and UK militaries. The USD311.4 million contract announced by the Department of Defense (DoD) on 1 September covers delivery of the aircraft’s full combat software to the US […]
By Richard Tomkins Sept. 17, 2015 LONDON, Sept. 17 (UPI) — A mid-range standoff cruise missile for use on F-35 fighters is being developed by Lockheed Martin and its Turkish partner, Roketsan. The SOM-J will feature GPS guidance, aided by inertial, terrain-referenced and image-based navigation systems and an imaging infrared seeker. It will be based […]