Lockheed CEO, USAF Training Chief Shrug Off F-35 Problems

Lockheed Martin CEO Downplays F-35 Corrosion Issue (excerpt)

(Source: Washington Examiner; posted May 30, 2018)

By Travis J. Tritten

The CEO of defense giant Lockheed Martin said Wednesday that the company is moving past a dispute with the Pentagon over a primer defect on its F-35 joint strike fighters and that the issue is “not a big show-stopper.”

The majority of the 200 or so F-35s with the production defect causing corrosion around fastener holes will be repaired within two years, Marillyn Hewson said during an investor conference.

“It’s not a big show-stopper, it’s not a big significant issue, and we’ve got to plan with our Joint Program Office, our customer, on how we’ll go back and fix the aircraft that were delivered to address it,” she said. “In fact, it’s not a safety flight issue, so it can be done over the next couple of years.” (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full story, on the Washington Examiner website.

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Older F-35s 'On Life Support,' But Training Chief Isn't Worried (excerpt)

(Source: Military.com; posted May 30, 2018)

By Oriana Pawlyk

It's not unusual that the Pentagon's newest F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft is already showing signs of aging after only a decade of service, the Air Force's head of training said last week.

Lt. Gen Steven Kwast, head of Air Education and Training Command, said because of how complex the entire F-35 aircraft system is, setbacks are natural even as pilots begin training on the platform.

"When you take a look at the history of every program we've ever had, whether it was the B-1 or the F-16 [Fighting Falcon] or the F-15 [Eagle], when you rewind the tapes, every single one of them suffered from these same growing pains," Kwast said during

"It's just natural for a system that complex, that capable, that not everything is perfect," he said, adding that's the same for a brand new-aircraft like the F-35. (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full story, on the Military.com website.

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