By Lara Seligman April 12, 2017 The U.S. Air Force has authorized extending the service life of Lockheed Martin’s single-engine F-16 from 8,000 t0 12,000 hr., raising questions about whether this is the first step toward retiring and replacing the long-serving F-15C/D Eagle. The planned structural modifications would keep up to 300 F-16 C/C Block […]
By Brad Lendon May 12, 2017 US President Donald Trump thinks the F-35 fighter is “pretty cool,” but he seems to be a bit confused over what the newest US warplanes have been up to in Japan. In a White House interview with Time magazine published Thursday, Trump said almost three dozen of the stealth […]
By Rebecca Kheel April 24, 2017 Delayed testing could add more than $1 billion to the cost of the F-35 fighter jet program, according to a government watchdog. In a report released Monday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended completing developmental testing before making “significant new investments” in the program. “Cascading F-35 testing delays could […]
By Ryan Browne and Jeremy Herb June 20, 2017 An F-35 fighter wing has been temporarily grounded after five incidents where pilots suffered from oxygen deprivation problems, but the planes are expected to be flying again on Saturday, the Air Force said Friday. The 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona suspended […]
By Adam Silverman Feb. 5, 2017 A review ordered by the Trump administration of the F-35 fighter jet program is expected to have no effect on the Vermont National Guard, which remains on track to receive 18 of the aircraft in two years. Vermont’s congressional delegation and governor agreed cost-cutting measures could prove beneficial for […]
By Nicole Higgins DeSmet Feb. 6, 2017 Federal Aviation Administration officials have repeatedly brushed off requests to provide maps of the F-35’s projected noise impact on surrounding neighborhoods, but the Burlington Free Press confirmed other communities were provided with F-35 data. Scott Eaton, an FAA community planner in Helena, Montana, confirmed last month that F-35 projections were included […]
By Valerie Insinna Jan. 12, 2017 President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for the next defense secretary on Thursday characterized his boss as ultimately supportive of the F-35 program, despite recent comments by Trump criticizing the high costs of the program. Over the past month, Trump has repeatedly used Twitter as his platform of choice to trash […]
By Jenn Rowell Oct. 2, 2016 After a two-year conversion period, the 120th Airlift Wing is now fully operational. For the last two years, the unit switched from flying F-15 fighter jets to the C-130 cargo planes that required training and new facilities, created new positions and eliminated others. During the conversion, the wing could […]
By Kent Miller November 17, 2016 To combat the ongoing shortage of fighter pilots, the Air Force will stand up two interim F-16 pilot training squadrons at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, service officials announced Thursday. About 40 to 45 Fighting Falcons, plus 800 training and support staff airmen, are being relocated from Hill […]
By Stephen Losey February 1, 2017 A civilian contractor was killed and an airman was injured in a training accident at a military range near Holloman Air Force Base in southern New Mexico Tuesday. Capt. Bryant Davis, chief of public affairs for the 49th Wing at Holloman, said the two were part of a ground […]