The Swiss selection—announced June 30—adds to the F-35s growing tally of competition wins, the aircraft proving unbeatable in virtually every tender it has taken part in.
After a blistering congressional hearing, Aviation Week editors break down some of the F-35 program’s recent struggles and cost issues to develop the program and maintain and operate the fighter.
Lockheed Martin received a $12.8 million contract award from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on March 25 for the Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) program.
The anti-surface Joint Strike Missile (JSM) manufactured by Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace performed a series of successful test drops from a U.S. Air Force F-35A at Edwards Air Force Base, California in February.
Italy’s aircraft carrier Cavour has embarked F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the first time in a milestone towards qualifying the ship to support the combat aircraft.
The Israeli government has confirmed it will acquire a third squadron of Lockheed Martin F-35s as well as heavy-lift helicopters and advanced munitions as part of its new arms procurement program to update the Israeli Defense Forces.
The Spanish Navy is mulling the implications of an F-35 purchase as it considers how best to replace its AV-8 Harriers which operate from its light carrier, the Juan Carlos I.
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have committed to support the first operational deployment of the UK’s new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier in the spring.
The UK has contracted with MBDA for the production of its Spear 3 network enabled air-to-ground missile which will become the primary weapon of the UK’s F-35 fleet.
The UK has declared its carrier strike capability operational, paving the way for the first operational cruise of new carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in the spring.
The JSE creates a synthetic world that allows operational testers to gauge the F-35’s performance in theater-level scenarios. JSE testing is delayed from December to some time in 2021.
The UK Parliamentary Defense Committee has written to the government over concerns that the UK may not buy its full complement of Lockheed Martin F-35 combat aircraft.
South Korea has reportedly expanded its requirement for additional Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightnings to 40 aircraft from 20, as the defense ministry refines plans for a ship to carry some of them.
The F-35A’s onboard sensor fusion prevents the Air Force right now from widely implementing a live, virtual and constructed training format, a top US Air Force commander says.
An $862 million contract award ends the year-old mystery over the disposition of F-35As ordered by Turkey since the country's expulsion from the international fighter program.
