Author: Stephen LoseyDate: September 3, 2025 Summary: The Pentagon has scaled back its ambitious F-35 Block 4 modernization program in response to escalating costs, production delays, and supply chain issues, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit. The report concludes that years of missed deadlines, cost overruns, and software instability have forced officials […]
Nathan Solis, Staff Writer July 31, 2025 SummaryA U.S. Navy F‑35C “Rough Raiders” fighter jet crashed in a fiery blaze into a cotton field near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California on the evening of July 30, 2025. The pilot ejected safely, was located in a nearby field with his parachute, and transported to a […]
Stephen Losey May 22, 2025 The U.S. Air Force is structuring its Boeing-built F-47 sixth-generation fighter program so the service, not the contractor, owns the jet’s mission-system architecture and intellectual property. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin told senators this “government reference architecture” will let the Air Force swap in new software, sensors, […]
On January 28, 2025, an F-35A Lightning II fighter jet crashed at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska, during a training exercise. The pilot experienced an in-flight malfunction, declared an emergency, and safely ejected before the aircraft crashed during the landing phase. The pilot was transported to Bassett Army Hospital for evaluation and has […]
Author: Dan Grazier Date: December 18, 2024 Summary of the Article The article critiques the F-35 fighter jet program, calling it a costly failure with limited military value. Despite over two decades of development and nearly $300 billion spent, the aircraft has not demonstrated adequate combat capabilities or reliability. The focus on economic arguments to […]
By Stephen Losey Wednesday, Sep 18, 2024 The U.S. military has accepted 36 upgraded F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from Lockheed Martin since lifting a yearlong delivery halt in July. The delay was initially due to issues with the F-35’s updated Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) hardware and software, which are essential for enabling the Block 4 […]
April 30, 2024 By Chris Gordon During a House Armed Services Committee hearing on April 30, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III defended the F-35 program against criticisms of its high cost and operational challenges. Lawmakers like Rep. Matt Gaetz raised concerns about the program’s sustainment costs, which are projected to exceed $1.5 trillion. […]
By Stephen Losey Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 The Pentagon has decided to resume accepting deliveries of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jets after a year-long pause. Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, head of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, approved a plan to accept the jets with a partial version of the TR-3 software, which is essential for […]
By Drew F. Lawrence and Thomas Novelly May 29, 2024 An Air Force test pilot was hospitalized in serious condition after an F-35B Lightning II crash near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The incident occurred while the jet was en route to Edwards Air Force Base from Fort Worth, Texas, following a refueling stop at Kirtland Air […]
The Air Force’s F-35A Lightning II can now fly in lightning and thunderstorms after a four-year restriction was lifted. This ban, in place since 2020, was due to a damaged tube in the Onboard Inert Gas Generation System (OBIGGS), which protects the jet’s fuel tanks from lightning strikes. The issue was discovered during maintenance at […]