Page 39 - F 35 News Today

The NGAD could be a real game changer but costs and potential problems like the F-35 suffered through are something the Air Force must worry about. 

The Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is still in the relatively early stages of development – yet the Air Force has an idea of how many NGAD fighters the service would like to procure: 200.

Pentagon officials say they’re delivering “unprecedented surge support to F-35 users in Israel.”

Noted analyst, Rebecca Grant, says an Israeli F-35I which shot down what’s believed to be a Houthi cruise missile has set a precedent which is “bad news” for China.

The award, which will go to BAE Systems, is part of a new government program aimed at creating a more secure supply of semiconductors.

Lockheed Martin has unveiled Belgium’s inaugural F-35, however, Technology Refresher 3 (TR-3) software setbacks have kept the fighter in the US which has impacted deployment and training plans.

According to Lockheed Martin, by the mid-2030s, more than 600 F-35s will be stationed on the European continent, across NATO member-state bases, and in Switzerland.

A team of F-35 maintenance experts at Hill AFB, Utah are working to mate the useable sections of two wrecked F-35s to create a fully operational salvaged “Franken-bird”.

Remember, the F-35 is a multi-role fighter, and when prompted, can be reconfigured as a straightforward, knuckle-dragging, bomb-carrier. The reconfiguration is known as “Beast Mode.”

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II remains the most capable multirole fighter in operation in the world today. But are there still too few of them?