The first Japanese-built F-35 started the mating process early Dec. 15 when its wings, fuselage and tails joined together for the first time to form the aircraft’s structure, according to a statement by F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin [LMT].The aircraft, a conventional F-35A variant designated AX-5, will complete its assembly in the electronic mate and assembly station (EMAS) and roll out of the factory for delivery in 2017. Company spokesman Eric Schnaible said Dec. 15 AX-5’s first components were loaded…
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House Appropriators Add Restrictions And Reporting Requirement To Battleship, Reject Cut
The chairman’s mark of the House Appropriations Committee’s (HAC) fiscal year 2027 defense appropriations bill funds the administration’s $1 billion request for the BBG(X) Trump-class battleship, but adds restrictions requiring […]
House Appropriators Concerned With ‘Risky’ Reconciliation Approach To Fund Munitions, F-35 Plans
The House Appropriations Committee has raised concern with the Trump administration’s “risky” approach to seeking significant fiscal year 2027 funding for key priorities such as critical munitions and F-35 procurement […]
Lawmakers Push Shipbuilding Accountability And Submarine Reports In House Appropriations Bill
The House Appropriations Committee’s mark of the FY ‘27 defense spending bill includes shipbuilding accountability provisions given increasing cost-to-complete requests and perennially delayed shipbuilding programs. The bill report said that […]
Six F-35Bs Delivered Without Radars Thus Far, Program Director Says
The U.S. Marine Corps thus far has received six F-35B fighters without radars, as the service waits on Northrop Grumman‘s [NOC] delivery of the AN/APG-85 radar, which is to replace […]
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