The Pentagon has officially approved the F-35 fighter jet for full-rate production. Lockheed Martin has been building F-35s at maximum capacity and has delivered nearly a thousand to customers. Bill LaPlante approved the milestone after a meeting with the Defense Acquisition Board. Operational testing is complete, after delays with integrating the F-35 with the Joint Simulation Environment.
The virtual combat tests were completed in September, paving the way for full-rate production. The program is now positioned to efficiently produce and deliver the next generation of aircraft. The Pentagon continues to hold off on new F-35 deliveries until Lockheed finishes testing the jet’s latest upgrade, called Technology Refresh-3, which is now expected in the third quarter of 2024.
