Fighter Jet News
F-35 Lightning II News
More delays for the Lightning II
August 22, 2006 (by
Jeff Hollenbeck) -
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.
Other published reports indicate that the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are considering pushing back procurement of F-35s for an additional year in an attempt to redirect funding for that year to other projects. According to many sources, a one year delay in F-35 production could add up to $5 million to the cost of each jet, reducing available funding for production later in the program.
The F-35 Lightning II is an international project which is being led by Lockheed Martin and is scheduled to replace several aircraft including the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Sea Harrier in the next decade.
The first part for the first F-35 JSF aircraft was cut on 10 November 2003. Since then, thousands of parts have been coming together as the team works to complete the first F-35. [USAF Photo]
The F-35 Lightning II is an international project which is being led by Lockheed Martin and is scheduled to replace several aircraft including the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Sea Harrier in the next decade.
Related articles:
Forum discussion:
Tags
- Unmanned F-35 in the works ( 2006-08-16)
- BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin sign agreement for lifetime support of F-35 Lightning II ( 2006-07-19)
- F-35 Lightning II, strong global partnership, ready to begin production and sustainment ( 2006-07-18)
- F-35 Lightning II news archive
Forum discussion:
- Start a discussion about this article in the F-35 forum.
Tags