F-35 crash shrinks a tiny test fleet under stress
Congress and GAO were already worried about having enough test jets to handle planned upgrades.
AUDREY DECKER | MAY 29, 2024
PENTAGON MARINE CORPS AIR FORCE NAVY INDUSTRY
Updated: 8:00 p.m. ET.
The Lightning II that crashed on Tuesday was one of very few F-35 developmental test aircraft, exacerbating a shortage that has in the past led to program delays.
The aircraft, which was en route from Lockheed’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to Edwards Air Force Base, California, crashed after a refueling stop at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The F-35 was being flown by a Defense Contract Management Agency pilot, who was safely ejected was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition.
“This was a U.S. government-owned-and-operated aircraft that was being flown by a government pilot who safely ejected. The aircraft was a test jet equipped with Technology Refresh 2 and was transferring to Edwards AFB for additional test equipment modification. Safety is our priority, and we will follow appropriate investigation protocols,” Lockheed said in a statement.
The F-35 that crashed was originally accepted by the government in September and was undergoing a modification to get more test equipment, the F-35 Joint Program Office said in a statement.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2024/05/f-35-crash-further-shrinks-test-fleet-under-stress/396959/
