McCain Hearts F-35. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a frequent critic of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, says Nov. 20 he is “encouraged that the overall program is moving in the right direction.” He talks at an event to welcome the first operational F-35 units to the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz. “After several major restructuring efforts over the last two years, initiated by then-Secretary of Defense Gates, the Government Accountability Office recently found for the first time in the program’s history that the program is finally set up to produce more achievable and predictable outcomes,” McCain says in prepared remarks. “With the JSF program still early in flight testing, much work remains to ensure that these aircraft are truly operational at the end of the day and that the JSF program can be called a success,” he adds. He says the program’s success depends on the collaboration of varied Pentagon stakeholders with each other and their F-35 industry partners. McCain lauds Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos and Lockheed Martin CEO Bob Stevens for their work on the F-35 program, calling them “two Marines who have shown what the Corps can do when directing its focus and energy to overcome a daunting challenge.”
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