2015-08-06 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake When Secretary Gates decided to put the F-35B on probation and Senator McCain became his powerful echo chamber we responded at the time on the pages of Breaking Defense that these actions were misguided. We have spent many hours with the pilots, maintainers,…
2015-08-08 Recently an Italian 767 Tanker refueled an F-35 in the United States. This was the first time a foreign tanker has refueled an F-35. The Italian tanker also operates as part of the European Air Transport Command and can look forward to tanking not only Italian and US F-35s…
2015-07-27 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird “Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them” from the James Michener book Space. The quote originated from one of the legendary American Aeronautical Engineers, Jack Runckel who began with NACA before WWII and finished with NASA. As many history books state:…
2015-08-03 According to an August 3, 2015, DoD story written by Thomas Perry, the role of the Defense Contract Management Agency team working on the F-35 roll out was the focus of attention. FORT WORTH, Texas - “First off I would like to thank Col. Staphol, Col. Stathlo, Col. Staful…
2015-08-03 With the stand-up of the first operational F-35 squadron comes the IOC for the new data link for the F-35 fleet. The operational advantages of the new CNI system were highlighted by Major General Silveria of the Warfare Center at Nellis AFB. The plane has NONE of the items…
2015-07-27 A key aspect of the F-35 global supply chain is suppliers from a variety of nations building parts which become elements of other nations airplanes. It is not simply about Australia building parts for Australian F-35s; it is about building for the global fleet. An example are the vertical…
2015-07-18 The F-35 has come to Hill AFB and with it the reactivation of the "Rude Rams." In an article by Mitch Shaw and published appropriately on the Hill AFB website: 7/2/2015 - HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- Just over five years ago at Hill Air Force Base, budget cuts killed one of…
07/16/2015: Second Line of Defense visited the 33rd Fighter Wing prior to any Academic Training Center (ATC) being built, let alone functioning. The video produced by the 33rd Fighter Wing shows the ATC operating today and several of the activities conducted at the ATC. The students in the classroom and…