U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan has said the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program continues to move forward to address current flight restrictions and other challenges, DoD News reported Wednesday.Lisa Ferdinando writes Bogdan indicated the F-35 development program is scheduled for completion by the latter half of 2017.
“What we’re trying to do right now is work toward that very large $50-plus-billion contract and turn that into a modernization program,” Bogdan told reporters at a roundtable event.
The report said ongoing updates to the Lockheed Martin-built fighter jet include a heavy/light weight switch and a head-restraining device to support pilot safety in case of ejection from the aircraft.
The changes are currently in the test phase and could be in production by the end of 2016, Ferdinando reports.
