F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

All U.S. F-35s and those operated by international partners have been temporarily grounded for inspections after one crashed in South Carolina last month.

Following Crash, All F-35s Temporarily Grounded For Inspections

4:07pm October 12, 2018

by Scott Neuman

The grounding of all U.S. F-35 jets and those operated by international partners follows the crash of an aircraft last month in South Carolina, in which the pilot safely ejected.

An F-35 Lightning II in flight. Congress is moving to block delivery of the warplane to Turkey, a NATO ally and member of the nine-nation consortium manufacturing the warplane.

Why Lawmakers Are Trying To Block Delivery Of Fighter Jets To Turkey

11:50pm June 14, 2018

by David Welna

Turkey is scheduled to get its first F-35 jet fighters next week, but it is also considering buying Russia's most advanced anti-aircraft system. Congress is moving to block delivery of the warplane.

Queue Listen Now

The US Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II performs a demonstration flight at Paris Air Show, in Le Bourget, east of Paris, France, last June.

World News

Israel Says F-35s See First-Ever Combat With IDF Over Syria

6:01am May 22, 2018

by Scott Neuman

Israel's air force chief says F-35As were used in recent strikes against Iranian targets in Syria, the first "operational attack" for the newly fielded stealth jet.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B "Lancer" bomber flying with F-35B fighter jets and South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jets during a training at the Pilsung Firing Range in South Korea in September.

U.S., South Korea Begin Massive Military Exercises

6:26am December 04, 2017

by Scott Neuman

The annual Vigilant Ace exercise is taking place amid increased tensions with North Korea over its nuclear program and the recent test of an improved, longer-range ICBM.

An F-35 fighter jet arrives in Israel, one of the U.S. allies to put in orders for the next-generation aircraft. President-elect Donald Trump tweeted the program's $1 trillion price tag is "out of control."

National

Trump Lambastes $1 Trillion F-35 Jet On Twitter

6:44pm December 12, 2016

by Jason Slotkin

The president-elect called costs for the Lockheed Martin-helmed project "out of control" and implied he'd scale back such costs after taking office.

A Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighter does a short takeoff (STOVL) from Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., in 2011. Eighteen years after development began, a version of the plane designed for the Marine Corps is expected to be deemed

Marine Version Of F-35 Deemed 'Combat Ready'

9:42am September 11, 2015

by Scott Neuman

With a total program cost estimated at $400 billion and a per-plane price tag of $135 million, the Joint Strike Fighter program is considered the most expensive in U.S. history.

An F-35 fighter taxis at Edwards Air Force base, in 2012. The cutbacks in U.K. will be offset by new forces needed for the aircrafts' deployment to RAF Lakenhealth.

Pentagon's Money-Saver: U.S. Troops To Leave 15 European Sites

5:35pm January 08, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The Department of Defense says it will pull out of bases in the U.K., Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal.