The House Appropriations defense subcommittee wants to allocate 16 F-35B Lightnings -- the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variants (STOVLs) -- for the Marine Corps plus 19 F-35C carrier variants for the Navy and Marines. The subcommittee’s endorsement -- outlined in its draft report accompanying the fiscal year 2024 defense appropriations bill obtained by Inside Defense -- supports a total of 86 F-35 aircraft that include three more F-35As for the Air Force plus the 35 F-35B and C aircraft. The draft report...
