#f-35

With Air Force veterans comprising just 15 percent of congressional service members, lawmakers are pushing to expand multiyear procurement for F-35 and F-15EX fleets to stabilize industrial supply chains amid budgetary friction.

The U.S. Air Force is accelerating fighter deployments to CENTCOM amid persistent regional conflicts, disrupting standardized rotational models. High operational tempo across active and Guard squadrons is elevating long-term readiness, force sustainment, and airmen retention concerns for defense leaders.

The U.S. Air Force’s 13th Fighter Squadron deployed its newly assigned F-35A Lightning II fighters from Misawa Air Base, Japan, to Red Flag-Alaska for the first time. The exercise validates long-range power projection and advanced electronic warfare capabilities against sophisticated adversary threat networks.

Airmen from the 187th Fighter Wing completed Operation Tuskegee Thunder at Dannelly Field, Alabama, testing rapid sortie generation and austere sustainment concepts for the F-35A Lightning II to ensure fifth-generation airpower readiness in high-threat environments.