News

The story of how money laundering of U.S. taxpayer funds return back to help a troubled aircraft program.

The conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A notched its 50th flight last week in preparation for testing at Edwards AFB, while the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant began a planned modification interval that will lead to STOVL-mode flight early next year.

Pratt & Whitney was awarded a production contract worth up to $491 million (including options) for F135 propulsion systems to power the F-35 Lightning II.

U.S. Air Force analyses show the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is at least 400 percent more effective in air-to-air combat capability than the best fighters currently available in the international market.

Aeronautical Systems Center personnel connected with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program are "flying" the jet with the Sept. 8 arrival of the F-35 cockpit demonstrator here.

Lockheed Martin has entered a DoD Mentor-Protégé Agreement with Aegisound, LLC, of Blacksburg, Va., and will assist the company as it becomes a supplier of advanced hearing-protection devices for military high-noise environments.

Here is a variety of reading for the weekend to keep up on F-35 events.

The senior Australian Defence leadership is embarking on a dangerous gamble with taxpayer’s money. This compulsive gambling habit will need a strong intervention by Parliament.

Saab AB has offered to sell 85 JAS Gripen fighter jets to the Netherlands, thus competing with Lockheed Martin for the replacement of the country's ageing F-16 fleet

Northrop Grumman Corporation completed the center fuselage for the first U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II aircraft, an aircraft carrier-capable variant designated CF-1. This was performed on budget and on schedule.

With one F-35 in structural testing, two in flight test, six in final assembly and another 14 in various stages of production, Lockheed Martin added to the program's momentum on Saturday by finishing assembly of the fourth F-35 aircraft, an STOVL F-35B.

Test flight delays due to engine problems could further inflate the cost of the F-35 Lightning II, already the most expensive military program ever at $299 billion.

The U.S. Department of Defense has released $1 billion of funding to acquire six Lockheed Martin F-35B STOVL aircraft as part of the second Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract for the F-35.

Goodrich has received an initial production contract from Northrop Grumman to provide its weapons bay door drive system for all models of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

Last week, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has signed a final long-term framework agreement with Lockheed Martin for the production of parts in composite and titanium for the F-35 Lightning II.