DoD Delays Approval for Full-Rate F-35 Production Written 27 October 2020
An F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 58th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing | U.S. Air Force photo by MSgt John Nimmo Sr.; Wikimedia Commons; Public Domain
Bloomberg reports that DoD has postponed the approval for the full-rate production of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 due to a delay in combat simulation testing. The testing had been moved from 2017 to December of this year before it was “postponed again because of difficulties finishing technical preparations.” Jessica Maxwell, spokesperson for Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord, said in a statement that the testing and the decision to approve full-rate production has been moved to 2021. Maxwell said that production of F-35s will continue at its current, low-rate phase.
Full Story (Bloomberg)