Lockheed Martin agreed to develop and integrate the Turkish SOM-J medium-range cruise missile onto the F-35 Lightning II in partnership with weapons firm Roketsan, the company announced. “SOM-J integration on the F-35 will enable pilots to engage targets from long ranges while maintaining the aircraft’s critical stealth capabilities,” company missile vice president Frank St. John said in a release. SOM-J is a smaller GPS-guided version of a medium-range conventional cruise missile currently integrated on the Turkish air force F-16 fleet. The weapon incorporates a 500-pound warhead and is capable of striking targets in excess of 100 miles away using terrain-following inertial navigation, and an infrared target seeker, according to the company. The agreement paves the way for SOM-J export sales to other international F-35 customers. Lockheed is also cooperating with Norwegian company Konigsberg, which is developing the Joint Strike Missile for the F-35.
KC-46’s Refueling Boom Damaged While Refueling F-22s
July 8, 2025
A U.S. Air Force KC-46 tanker suffered damage to its boom while refueling F-22 Raptors off the coast of Virginia on July 8, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed, with reported radio communication from the crew indicating the boom “detached.”