Decision To Upgrade F-35 Engine Program a Win for Air Force, Navy, and Allies
By Scott Gureck
April 20, 2023
After the world witnessed three days of large-scale combat exercises around Taiwan from China, an area I’ve seen personally during my Navy days, I can say this as a former naval aviator: It was a pleasure to see Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall recently announce that the U.S. Air Force will upgrade the F-35’s current engine rather than switch to an entirely new design — a major win for the Air Force, Navy and our 17 allies and partners.
With growing geopolitical threats around the globe, our military leaders and representatives in Congress must make intelligent decisions about how we allocate funding to ensure our national security and global stability.
The Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) which he approved will modernize the current F135 engine to boost thrust and improve the cooling system in order to keep it superior to jet fighters from rival powers. One big reason for those improvements is allowing for more and heavier weapons to stay ahead of emerging threats in the sky.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2023/04/20/decision_to_upgrade_f-35_engine_program_a_win_for_air_force_navy_and_allies_894910.html
