News

The United States Air Force considers cutting 72 F-35 Lightning II aircraft from its 2008 six-year spending plan (covering FY2008 through FY2013) due to cost overruns, according to Inside The Air Force.

The U.S. Senate approved a $469.7 billion military appropriations bill for 2007, cutting $2 billion from 11 major weapons programs, including a $1.2 billion cut for the F-35 program. According to the Senate, the F-35 needs another year of testing and development before they will approve spending for production.

The U.S. Government's Joint Strike Fighter Program Office has cleared Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine program to begin installed ground engine runs and taxi testing for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II.

Arnold Engineering Development Center recently conducted successful aerodynamic loads testing on a 12-percent scale model of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in the center's 16-foot transonic wind tunnel.

Any new fighter jet program can expect delays and according to an article in Jane's Defense Weekly, Brigadier General Charles Davis has confirmed that the first flight of the F-35 Lightning II has been delayed, possibly until December.

Like Lockheed's U-2G program which extended the U-2 reconnaisance aircraft's capabilities to carrier operations, Lockheed Martin is looking to expand the possiblilities for its newest aircraft - the F-35 Lightning II.

The mission of training new Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter pilots and maintainers is moving to the 33rd Fighter Wing, Air Force officials announced.

Pratt & Whitney has delivered the third F135 flight test engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Lightning II.

Silicon Graphics today announced that Lockheed Martin has selected the SGI® Altix® 4700 server to serve as the host computing platform for the F-35 "Lightning II" Training Devices.

BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin announced today that they have signed an agreement that defines how F-35 support services will be provided in the UK through the life of the F-35 Lightning II program.

With a new name, its first flight on the near horizon, six aircraft in various stages of subassembly and plans being laid for operation and support, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the only 5TH generation fighter available on the international market, is moving quickly into production with an eye toward long-term sustainment.

Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. has signed a letter of intent with Canadian company Magellan Aerospace for work on the F135 engine that will power the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) "Lightning II". The agreement, announced today during a press conference at the Farnborough International Air Show, has a potential value of more than US$20 million over the life of the program.

After much speculation, many polls online, and more posts on F-16.net than nearly any other topic, the offical name for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has finally been announced - "Lightning II."

F-35 Lightning II - that's the name of Lockheed's new international fighter jet according to an article in the Dallas Morning News.

BAE Systems has started assembling the aft fuselage of the first short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).