What is the current status of the F-35?

What is the current status of the F-35?

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

What is wrong with the F-35?

A technical problem involving the F-35′s cockpit pressure regulation system led to several incidents of extreme sinus pain, or barotrauma. In April 2020, the program office believed it would be able to resolve the problem in 2021 after flight testing the fix.

Is the F-35 still in production?

F-35 Production Will Take Longer than Expected to Recover from COVID. Continuing delays from COVID-19 disruptions mean it will take longer than expected to make up the backlog of F-35 jets stemming from the pandemic, said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and general manager for the fighter.

How many F-35 will be built in 2021?

Lockheed Martin plans to manufacture between 133 and 139 examples of its F-35 stealth fighter in 2021, a number about the same as 2019 levels, but below previous projections as the programme continues to feel the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Which countries currently fly the F-35?

The F-35 program was founded by nine partner nations: the U.S., the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Australia, Norway, Denmark and Canada. Canada has not committed to buying the aircraft, but is expected to announce its choice this year. Turkey was removed from the program in 2019.

How many F-35 does the U.S. have?

Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Malinda Singleton told Military.com the service has 283 F-35s, which also surpasses the A-10 Warthog fleet by two aircraft.

Are there any delays to the F-35?

The real-world impacts of the F-35’s delays and ever mounting burden on the budget are significant.

When is full rate production of the F-35?

Pentagon leaders had expected 2020 to be a big year for the $1.727 trillion F-35 program. The long-anticipated full-rate production decision that would have allowed the F-35 to move beyond testing and development and into mass production was scheduled to be made by 2020.

Why is the F-35 program at a crossroads?

The F-35 program is approaching a crossroads. The U.S. taxpayers are paying a premium for an aircraft that is supposed to be able to do it all. It is being tested to see if it can live up to the lavish promises made to sell the program. But that testing is revealing significant deficiencies.

Why is the F-35 Lightning in low rate production?

The U.S. military wants the airplane, currently in low-rate production, to undergo a series of tests in a computer simulation before it will allow contractor Lockheed Martin to build as many jets as it wants. ✈ You love badass planes. So do we.