
As the Pentagon prepares to hand over contractor sustainment of the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35 to the Air Force and the Department of the Navy by the latter part of 2027--a timeline mandated by Section 142 of the fiscal 2022 NDAA, DoD has been working to reduce maintenance costs for the fighter through service depot activation, increasing the speed of repairs, extending part expiration dates, and using a Pathfinder initiative that finds similar parts on other platforms for the F-35.…