“They spent years trying to develop a simulator to test [the F-35], and they still can’t deliver that," POGO's Dan Grazier said. American and Japanese forces recently participated in a bilateral exercise to showcase the close coordination between the two allies. Officials told the GAO the decision to exclude the F-22 stems from the fighter's "reduced role in the future force structure," among other factors. Republican defense hawks insist that Speaker McCarthy's spending agreement won't cut military spending, but they're also brainstorming Pentagon savings. The Technology Refresh 3 upgrades will lay the groundwork for a major modernization effort known as Block 4. Pratt & Whitney's deliveries of F135 engines are on hold while the U.S. military and contractors try to find the root cause of a Dec. 15 F-35 mishap. The tests place the F-15EX one step closer to carrying more missiles than any other U.S. Air Force fighter. The halt in acceptance flights and deliveries following the mishap meant Lockheed Martin delivered fewer F-35s than required in 2022. The Air Force hopes to show off the B-21 Raider bomber's first flight in 2023 — though that target has been pushed back multiple times. The F-35 Joint Program Office told services a fuel tube failure may have caused an F-35B's crash, which has now led to some fighters being grounded. Load More
