The production of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter (JSF) aircraft is expected to cost more and see a delay of up to three years before its delivery to the US Government.

The projections, based on a preliminary analysis of test and production data, reveal that software, engineering and flight difficulties related to JSF production are greater than expected.

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A F-35 technical baseline review was prepared by the Pentagon’s defence acquisition board for an in-depth examination of the $382bn JSF programme, according to Bloomberg.

New delays and higher prices are expected to cause difficulties in the development and combat testing of the F-35, which is already four years behind schedule.

The delay will lead to the $50bn development phase costing $5bn more, and the JSF being significantly more expensive to maintain than the warplanes it will replace.

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Airforce Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airforce Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.


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Discover how Virtualitics is transforming mission readiness with explainable AI, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision intelligence across the U.S. Department of Defense through its AI-powered Integrated Readiness Optimization suite, for which it has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards.

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