Shanahan, Air Force and Navy secretaries to visit Lockheed F-35 production line

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson will travel to Texas next week to tour Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production line, according to the Defense Department.

The three officials will travel to the Fort Worth, TX, facility on Oct. 23 to tour the F-35 production line and speak with employees who build the aircraft, according to Cmdr. Sarah Higgins, a spokeswoman for Shanahan.

"This trip is an opportunity to engage firsthand with Lockheed Martin, the F-35 prime contractor, to discuss product performance, affordability and the important role defense contractors play in creating a more lethal force," Higgins told Inside Defense.

The senior DOD delegation's visit comes at something of an inflection point for the F-35 program. As previously reported by Inside Defense, F-35 Program Executive Officer Vice Adm. Mat Winter plans to seek approval for a new follow-on modernization strategy by the end of this month.

Meanwhile, DOD was set to start a yearlong deep dive into the cost of the JSF on Oct. 1. Officials are expected to work with prime and sub-tier suppliers to inject more competition and affordability into the Pentagon's most expensive program.