AeroWeb | F-35 Lightning II

This summer could be a make or break moment for USAF nextgen fighter:

This summer could be a make or break moment for US Air Force’s next fighter program The Next Generation Air Dominance program is set to have a finalized acquisition strategy within the next few months.

Lockheed to Retrofit F-35s for Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses Role:

Lockheed to Retrofit F-35s for Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses Role - Air Force Magazine Lockheed Martin won a $26.7M contract to develop a structural mod for the F-35 to enhance its Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses capability.

Italian defense minister commits to F-35 despite calls to suspend program:

Italy defense minister commits to F-35 after calls to suspend program Lorenzo Guerini said he “confirmed that the program would continue,” after calls from Italy’s Five Star party to halt F-35 purchases for a year to pay for a coronavirus rebound.

Germany, France and Spain approve FCAS fighter jet performance benchmarks:

Three European air forces approve performance benchmarks for next-gen fighter jet The criteria will be used to whittle down the number of design options as the Future Combat Air System program proceeds through the next stages of development.

F-35A Demonstration Team takeoff video:

F-35A Demonstration Team on Twitter “Jet go vroom ☁️✈️⁣ ⁣ 🎥: SSgt Tompkins l https://t.co/tQ5wEAbob3”

Breaking Down USAF’s 70-Percent Overall Mission Capable Rate:

Breaking Down USAF's 70-Percent Overall Mission Capable Rate - Air Force Magazine The Air Force’s fleet in fiscal 2019 maintained an overall mission capable rate of 70.27 percent, a slight increase from the previous year.

Eglin F-35A Crashes Upon Landing, Pilot Ejects:

Eglin F-35A Crashes Upon Landing, Pilot Ejects - Air Force Magazine An F-35A from the 58th Fighter Squadron crash-landed late May 19 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., according to the 33rd Fighter Wing. The pilot safely ejected.

After two crashes within days, Eglin AFB announces safety pause:

After two crashes within days, Eglin announces safety pause “The events over the past few days remind us that the defense of our country can be a dangerous business,” Brig. Gen. Scott Cain said.

Lockheed Martin to miss F-35 delivery target in 2020:

Lockheed slated to miss F-35 delivery target in 2020 as supply chain struggles to keep up Lockheed Martin is under contract to deliver 141 F-35 jets this year. Amid COVID-19 restrictions, it's unclear whether that will happen.

F-35 suppliers are having trouble delivering parts on schedule:

Some F-35 suppliers are having trouble delivering parts on schedule, and Turkey’s departure could make that worse According to the GAO, the number of F-35 parts delivered late skyrocketed from less than 2,000 in August 2017 to upwards of 10,000 in July 2019.

Canada Delays Fighter Jet Bid Deadline to July:

Canada Delays Fighter Jet Bid Deadline to July The Canadian government has delayed the bid deadline for its CF-18 fighter replacement program by one month. The move extends the deadline for accepting bids to July 31, 2020. Bids were original…

Air Force Seeking Faster, Longer-Range Air-to-Air Missiles:

Air Force Seeking Faster, Longer-Range Air-to-Air Missiles - Air Force Magazine USAF is looking for “novel” approaches to a new class of faster and longer-ranged air-to-air missiles, according to a May 5 RFI.