There are about 630 F-35 Lightning IIs in the field today in nine nations, including the U.S., the program executive officer for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office said. Five of those nations have deployed the F-35 in combat.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Eric T. Fick spoke May 13 at the McAleese Fiscal Year 2022 Defense Programs conference.
To save on cost, the technicians are increasing the amount of automated testing on the plane’s software so that faulty software isn’t pushed into the field, or even into the flight test, he said.https://t.co/MlkYHsTIvD#f35 #f22 #lockheed #aerospacenews
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“The F-35 delivers truly game-changing capabilities today. With its combination of stealth, sensor fusion and interoperability, the F-35 is truly the quarterback of the joint force,” he said.
The U.S. and its allies and partners who use the F-35 don’t have unlimited funds, so Fick said that the services are “laser-focused” on driving down costs, not just in development and production, but in sustainment, where 80 percent of the money is spent.
