Brig. Gen. Charles Davis, F-35 boss, coyly noted that his enthusiasm for the F136 engine—General Electric’s engine for the F-35—is the same as that of the Deputy Secretary of Defense. Gordon England has adamantly opposed a Congressional push to reintroduce the alternate engine into the budget.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
