The British government remains "on target" for achieving F-35 operational capability from land bases in 2018 with the signing of a contract for four B-variant combat jets, the country's chief of defence materiel, Bernard Gray, confirmed in a Nov. 24 statement. The vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft were included in the Pentagon's $4.7 billion, low-rate initial production contract with manufacturer Lockheed Martin, announced last week. The contract buys 43 Joint Strike Fighters, of which 14 are for international customers. In a Nov. 24...
