Marine Corps. Planes Included In 2008 Defense Budget

On Thursday, Lockheed Martin reported that the Pentagon has released $1 billion to move forward with production on the first six F-35B Lightning II aircraft for the Marine Corps.

Undersecretary of Defense John Young gave the nod to build the six aircraft with funds appropriated in the 2008 defense budget. Young had withheld the money, pending completion of the initial flight of the F-35B test aircraft in June and a review of progress made in diagnosing and correcting flaws in engine compressor blades.

Lockheed had previously received approval from Young to begin work on six F-35A model aircraft, also included in the 2008 budget. Congress appropriated $2.2 billion in the 2008 budget for the 12 aircraft, the second of several "low- rate initial production" lots designed to gradually bring F-35 production up to a higher rate in the coming years.

Lockheed and subcontractors are building 17 other test aircraft previously funded by the government, two initial production aircraft funded in 2006 and 2007, plus the 12 funded in the 2007-08 budgets. The Pentagon also provided $197 million for buying materials and other components with long lead times for the third low-rate production lot of F-35s, expected to be funded in the 2009 defense budget.

Currently, two of the aircraft are undergoing flight testing. The first F-35A test aircraft has completed 45 flights, and the first F-35B has flown nine times, according to Lockheed officials.

FMI: www.jsf.mil/