Pratt & Whitney officials say the company’s F135 Joint Strike Fighter engine has been cleared to power the F-35 Lightning II on its first flight. The F135 has achieved initial flight release from the F-35 joint program office after completing all tests and verification reports, according to an Oct. 23 company statement. The engine will power the F-35 conventional take-off and landing version. The F135 has amassed more than 6,000 hours in ground engine runs and completed full afterburner tests. Taxi tests are slated for later this fall.
The U.S. sent Air Force F-16s over central Syria in a show of force following the Dec. 13 killing of two U.S. Army Soldiers and one American civilian interpreter by a gunman linked to the Islamic State group.
