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 U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.