Late Thursday afternoon, the full Senate approved the conference report for the Fiscal 2010 defense authorization bill by a vote of 68 to 29, sending President Obama a measure that still includes the alternate engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The question is: Will the President sign the policy bill as is—with the provision to continue the General Electric-Rolls Royce F136 as an alternate to the Pratt & Whitney F135 that currently powers the F-35—and reserve a veto for the spending bill (see above). Stay tuned for more coverage of policy bill provisions.
Ukraine’s fleet of F-16 fighters has played a vital role in protecting the country against Russian aerial attacks, including the jet-powered drones the Russians have used to try to overpower Ukrainian air defenses, senior Ukrainian officials said. But Ukraine has a chronic need for spare parts to keep the venerable jets…