Here are the programs that made the biggest news over the past week:
F-35Bs return to flight — F-35B aircraft are back in the air after being grounded due to an engine oil leak discovered at Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz., earlier this month, according to the
Yuma Sun. The program said it had inspected nearly all 94 F-35s in the fleet, and 88 passed inspection, three did not, and three had not yet been inspected yet. To deal with the problem, the program has issued a technical directive that should solve the problem. It’s the first major grounding of the aircraft since early 2013, when a fueldraulic line fault was discovered in F-35B aircraft, and then a crack was discovered in the turbine blades of an F-35A aircraft just 10 days later, grounding all aircraft. Read more F-35 analysis >>>
Delayed FAB-T finally moves forward — As we noted back in January, the Air Force delayed the FAB-T downselect by three months, expecting to do it in March. As it turned out, it wasn’t until this month that the service finally awarded the contract to Raytheon over Boeing. We reported last week that Boeing had opted not to protest the contract award, which ended up being worth $298 million. Whether the additional delay to the contract award will significantly affect the schedule remains to be seen, but Boeing’s decision not to protest may ease schedule pressures. Read more FAB-T analysis >>>
LPD-19 heads to the Persian Gulf — While it’s not the LPD-17 fleet’s first rodeo, the USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19) will get to provide a highly visible demonstration of the class’s capabilities as it heads to the Persian Gulf on deployment, Jacksonville.com reported. Carrying a compliment of more than 550 Marines, the LPD-19 has an opportunity to show what the class can do as Congress debates whether to pay for a 12th LPD-17 to help deal with a shortfall on amphibious ships. Authorizers approved measures to continue to fund LPD-28, but House appropriators declined to set aside any money for the program. Read more LPD-17 analysis >>>
F-22s head to Asia for first time — The F-22 Raptor will be deployed to Southeast Asia for the first time, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported last week. Six Hawaii-based Raptors are participating in Exercise Cope Taufan in Malaysia as the Pentagon pivots its resources to the Asia-Pacific region. The F-22s will help with conducting air superiority, close air support, interdiction, and other activities, according to the Air Force. Read more F-22 analysis >>>