Aerospace Group:

Navy/USMC

Amos: Engineers Found Fix for Cracks in F-35B Aluminum Bulkhead

Defense Daily Staff

Tuesday, June 24th, 2014

SHARE:

Amos: Engineers Found Fix for Cracks in F-35B Aluminum Bulkhead

The Marine Corps' short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B performs a vertical landing. Photo: Lockheed Martin.

The Marine Corps will redesign the aluminum bulkheads on the F-35B to prevent cracking, which was discovered on one plane in February after nearly 10,000 hours of testing, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Amos said Tuesday. The structural bulkhead of the plane is made of aluminum to minimize weight, but engineers discovered cracks in it during dynamic testing after about 9,800 hours–past the expected 9,000-hour service life of the plane, Amos said at the American Enterprise Institute. Despite…

Congress

Wicker Wants Legislation On DoD’s Equity Investments In Minerals Supply Chain

Legislation regarding equity investments by the Defense Department in critical mineral supply chains is needed to strengthen the larger defense industrial base and demonstrate to the “free market” that the […]

Congress

“Not Sure How They Get To Where They Wanna Be,” Calvert Says of $1.5 Trillion Defense Topline Proposal

As the federal government enters a third week of tardiness in a fiscal 2027 budget release, a big question is how the Pentagon will be able to spend $500 billion […]

Congress

Path Uncertain For $1.5 Trillion FY ‘27 Defense Topline After Trump Casts Doubt On Second Reconciliation Bill

The path to achieve the White House’s call for a $1.5 trillion defense topline in 2027 appears murkier now after President Donald Trump has cast doubt on the prospects of […]

Congress

Senate Budget Dems Push For Defense Reconciliation Spending Details, Cite ‘Slush Fund’ Concerns

Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee have raised “significant concern” with the Pentagon’s move to classify reconciliation spending plans, urging the department to provide more public details on how the […]