Northrop Grumman begins producing first international F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

PALMDALE, Calif., — Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has begun producing the center fuselage for the first international F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, an F-35B short take off, vertical landing (STOVL) variant for the United Kingdom designated BK-1. The center fuselage is the core structure around which the F-35 aircraft is built.

Northrop Grumman has begun producing [...]

U.S. states vie to land F-35 fighter bases

WASHINGTON, – Vermont, Utah, Florida, Idaho and South Carolina moved closer Thursday to landing operating bases for Lockheed Martin Corp’s  new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.
The U.S. Air Force also said locations in Idaho, Florida, New Mexico and two in Arizona were being examined as potential training bases for the radar-evading, single-engine jet, now in [...]

F-35 fighter is a major priority : Robert Gates

NATIONAL HARBOR,  U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-35 fighter jet was a major leadership and budgetary priority for the U.S. military.

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Lightning II (Eric A. Clement/U.S. Navy)
“I consider the F-35 program a major leadership priority, with all that entails with regard to funding, oversight [...]

Israel Air Force orders 1st F-35 JSF squadron

Israel moved a step closer to receiving its first stealth fighter jets this week after the Israel Air Force submitted an official Letter of Request (LOR) to the Pentagon to purchase its first squadron of 25 F-35 stealth fighter jets, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
The F-35 will be one of the most-advanced [...]

Northrop Grumman Makes Delivery of Flight-Ready Integrated CNI System for F-35 Lightning II

SAN DIEGO, June 8, 2009 — Northrop Grumman Corporation  has delivered the initial flight-ready integrated communications, navigation and identification (CNI) system for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program. The system has successfully completed safety of flight tests and obtained approval for flying this summer onboard the first mission systems equipped F-35 aircraft.

Lockheed [...]

Australia to buy US jets, build up navy, air force

CANBERRA, Apr 02, 2009 — Australia plans to buy 100 state-of-the-art U.S. jet fighters and double the size of its modest submarine fleet in a bid to keep pace with an Asian military buildup.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, second left, is accompanied by naval officers as he tours HMAS Stuart at Garden Island Naval base [...]

F-35 Lightning II Joint Striker Fighter (JSF) Exceeds STOVL Thrust Requirement

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 23  – The F-35B Lightning II short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant has demonstrated during testing that it produces excess vertical thrust – more than required to carry out its missions. The tests, conducted on a specially instrumented “hover pit,” also validated the performance of aircraft software, controls, thermal management, STOVL-system hardware [...]

China Denies Hacking on F-35 Lightning II Joint Striker Fighter

April 23, 2009 –  China has denied a U.S. newspaper report that computer spies possibly operating in China stole information related to the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter project.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu takes a question at a press briefing in Beijing (file photo:Xinhua)
Chinese Foreign Minister spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a regular briefing Thursday [...]

Hackers stole data on F-35 Lightning II Joint Striker Fighter (JSF)

WASHINGTON, April 22 — Spies hacked into U.S. military computers, copying data that could threaten the effectiveness of U.S. fighter jets, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Lightning II, built by Lockheed Martin, takes off for its first flight on Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. (Keith Simmons/US. Navy)
In recent [...]

U.S. official: No concern F-35 JSF was compromised

WASHINGTON, Apr 21, 2009 – A Pentagon official said on Tuesday that he was not aware of any specific concern that cyber attacks have compromised the sensitive technology of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter plane made by Lockheed Martin Corp.

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Lightning II (Keith Simmons/US Navy)
“I’m not aware of any specific [...]