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Aviation Today • Frank Wolfe

Pentagon IG Flags Persistent F-35A/C Readiness Shortfalls Affecting Strike Operations

A Pentagon Inspector General report last month found persistent readiness shortfalls in Lockheed Martin F-35A and F-35C fleets that affected strike operations, including a U.S. strike package that deployed both variants against Venezuela on Jan. 3. The findings heighten concerns about sustainment and mission availability.

2026-01-08T13:22:23.965197-08:00

Payload

House minibus bill cuts Mars Sample Return funding, likely dooming mission

2026-01-07T13:41:09.081432-08:00

DefenseNews.com

Italy to open first F-35 training school outside U.S. at Trapani-Birgi

2026-01-08T08:35:06.980476-08:00

Air Data News

AVIC releases video of J-35 prototype in green primer after Shenyang test flight, suggesting start of production

2026-01-08T02:31:52.616967-08:00

News Timeline

Aviation Today

Pentagon IG Flags Persistent F-35A/C Readiness Shortfalls Affecting Strike Operations A Pentagon Inspector General report last month found persistent readiness shortfalls in Lockheed Martin F-35A and F-35C fleets that affected strike operations, including a U.S. strike package that deployed both variants against Venezuela on Jan. 3. The findings heighten concerns about sustainment and mission availability.

2026-01-08T13:22:23.965197-08:00

Pentagon IG Flags Persistent F-35A/C Readiness Shortfalls Affecting Strike Operations

DefenseNews.com

Italy to open first F-35 training school outside U.S. at Trapani-Birgi Italy will establish the first F-35 training school outside the United States at Trapani‑Birgi Air Base in Sicily by 2029, making the base the country’s third operational F‑35 hub and a planned multinational NATO pilot training centre, with the F‑35 JPO and Lockheed Martin overseeing readiness.

2026-01-08T08:35:06.980476-08:00

Italy to open first F-35 training school outside U.S. at Trapani-Birgi

FlightGlobal

Southeast Asia accelerates fighter procurement amid heightened geopolitics Southeast Asian air forces are rapidly recapitalising combat fleets as rising regional tensions push governments to prioritise defence spending. Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand are leading procurement drives — ordering multirole fighters and light‑attack aircraft — despite tight budgets and fragmented acquisition strategies that complicate sustainment and industrial planning.

2026-01-08T04:08:10.223761-08:00

Southeast Asia accelerates fighter procurement amid heightened geopolitics

Air Data News

AVIC releases video of J-35 prototype in green primer after Shenyang test flight, suggesting start of production AVIC released images and video of a J-35 stealth fighter prototype in green primer completing a test flight at its Shenyang facility. The footage — showing production-style finishing rather than early gray prototypes — signals the type may be transitioning from flight-test to initial production.

2026-01-08T02:31:52.616967-08:00

AVIC releases video of J-35 prototype in green primer after Shenyang test flight, suggesting start of production

FlightGlobal

Taiwan Grounds F-16 Fleet, Urges U.S. to Fast‑Track Auto‑GCAS Retrofits after F‑16V Loss Taiwan has grounded its F‑16 fleet and halted training after an F‑16V vanished during a night sortie on Jan. 6; the pilot reported avionics faults before transmissions ceased. Taipei is pressing the U.S. to accelerate installation of automatic ground‑collision avoidance (Auto‑GCAS) across its F‑16V fleet.

2026-01-07T22:04:51.597809-08:00

Taiwan Grounds F-16 Fleet, Urges U.S. to Fast‑Track Auto‑GCAS Retrofits after F‑16V Loss

New York Times

Damaged U.S. Helicopter Nearly Crashed During Maduro Raid, Raising Questions About Trump’s Venezuela Plan A damaged U.S. special-operations helicopter nearly crashed while struggling to stay aloft over Caracas during the raid to capture Nicolás Maduro, imperiling the mission and prompting fresh questions about the operational planning, risk assessment and command decisions behind the Trump administration's Venezuela strategy.

2026-01-07T20:06:17.295096-08:00

Damaged U.S. Helicopter Nearly Crashed During Maduro Raid, Raising Questions About Trump’s Venezuela Plan

politico.eu

Trump's shadow looms over EU aviation emissions plan An EU official warned that President Trump’s unpredictable policies could complicate the European Commission’s plans to expand the EU aviation emissions trading scheme, saying, “God only knows what the Trump administration will do.” The comment underscores transatlantic political risk around new carbon rules for aviation.

2026-01-07T19:30:20.913083-08:00

Trump's shadow looms over EU aviation emissions plan

Defense Daily

Pentagon IG: F‑35 Readiness Shortfalls Persist as F‑35A/C Took Part in Jan. 3 Venezuela Strike Package The Pentagon Inspector General reported persistent readiness shortfalls across the F‑35 fleet even as U.S. Air Force F‑35A and Navy F‑35C aircraft were included in the Jan. 3 strike package against Venezuela. The finding underscores a widening gap between operational demand and fleet readiness for Lockheed Martin's fifth‑generation fighters.

2026-01-07T14:45:19.156163-08:00

Pentagon IG: F‑35 Readiness Shortfalls Persist as F‑35A/C Took Part in Jan. 3 Venezuela Strike Package

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Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact News

Pentagon IG Flags Persistent F-35A/C Readiness Shortfalls Affecting Strike Operations

House minibus bill cuts Mars Sample Return funding, likely dooming mission

Italy to open first F-35 training school outside U.S. at Trapani-Birgi

AVIC releases video of J-35 prototype in green primer after Shenyang test flight, suggesting start of production

News Timeline