Variants within the same plane model, incompatible support equipment and a lack of shared data create barriers to interoperability, a Rand report warns.
Texas National Guard members are at an Army training center in Illinois, sent despite a lawsuit and vigorous opposition from Democratic elected leaders.
When combined with another F-35 deal from December 2024, the Pentagon will pay Lockheed Martin about $24.3 billion for the 18th and 19th lots of the jets.
The sixth-generation F-47 will replace the F-22 Raptor, have advanced engines and stealth and fly with drone wingmen called collaborative combat aircraft.
The move aims to realign the force toward the use of unmanned drones instead of manned aviation platforms and will occur over fiscal years 2026 and 2027.