Joint Strike Fighter Testing Heading in the Right DirectionJuly 16, 2010
 After nearly one year of reports of glitches and runway costs, flight-testing of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter appears to be taking a turn for the better. Lockheed Martin, the primary contractor for the next-generation fighter jet, and the Defense Department now appear eager to show that the jet's development is finally heading in the right direction, according to a report in the Star-Telegram. By July 11, Lockheed had flown 146 test flights this year, when only 128 had been planned for the period. At that pace, the company could reach, or perhaps even exceed, its goal of 394 flights by the end of the year. Another yardstick for progress cited by the Star-Telegram is the number of test points earned during specific tests. The flights have accrued 1,438 compared to the 1,255 planned. According to the article, what these flight test numbers and points add up to is that if the current pace is sustained through the remainder of the year, the F-35 program will basically be exactly where it was supposed to be by the end of 2009. "Any good news on flight testing and costs gives a confidence boost" to Pentagon officials, U.S. military leaders and politicians [both domestic and international] who are expected to buy the F-35," Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace industry analyst for the Teal Group forecasting firm, told the Star-Telegram. Despite the steady onslaught of bad news over the past year, most prospective foreign buyers "have kept the faith so far," he added. In fact, a Dutch parliamentary vote to pull out of the testing program called the country's commitment in question. But it now awaits the direction of the newly elected government there. Other countries standing firm in their commitment include Canada and Australia. Lockheed is testing different version of the jet fighter for the different U.S. military branches. The Navy's F-35C test aircraft and the Air Force's F-35A have shown successful results while the more complex F-35B models have had a higher number of technical problems. "They're things we're glad to have found early," John Kent, Lockheed F-35 program spokesman, told the Star-Telegram. "Nothing systemic, just glitches that we've had to fix." (U.S. Air Force photo courtesy of Angel DelCueto) |
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