Awesome. Finally some balanced reporting on the F-35.

via The Dew Line.

Lockheed Martin is being awarded a $258.8 million not-to-exceed undefinitized modification to the previously awarded low rate production contract for the F-35.

The contract modification to the fifth production lot adds one additional F-35A conventional take-off and landing aircraft for the US Air Force, and one additional F-35C carrier variant aircraft for the US Navy.  According to a US Department of Defense release the modification includes undefinitized line items, which will be definitized as fixed-price-incentive-firm.

The low rate initial production (LRIP) V contract has fluctuated before. Back in October 2011, the Department of Defense reduced the LRIP V procurement amount by five aircraft. That cut some combination of F-35As and F-35Cs but preserved three orders for the F-35B.

That meant the LRIP V order droped from 35 to 30 aircraft.

Lockheed offers an explanation.

"The president's budget calls funding for up to 32 jets in LRIP 5. The UCA signed in December was for only 30 jets," says company  spokeswoman Laurie Quincy. "This action today funds two additional jets equaling the President's budget proposal. We look forward to continuing to work with our government customer to finalize details for a LRIP contract."

Wow.

Finally a main stream media news source reports on the F-35 without the negative spin that oozes out of every report from the usual suspects like Aviation Week.

I don't know this Dave guy that's writing over at the Dew Line now but he is a breath of fresh air.  

NOW.  If he reports a setback in the program I'll take it seriously...meaning.  I won't automatically dismiss it as being part of an agenda to either...

1.  Save European manufacturing.
2.  Save the RAF from the Royal Navy (as if they need saving...really the same applies to number one).
3.  Save Air Forces from Naval Aviation (an extension of number two but it covers air forces around the world in relation to their naval forces)
4.  Part of a loose net cabal/conspiracy of writers to just bash the F-35 every chance they get.
or...
5.  All of the above.

Its refreshing.

Oh and check out your usual news sources to see if they pick up this story.  I can tell you that they haven't...Bob Cox at Ft. Worth Star hasn't....Aviation Week or Ares Blog hasn't....the follower up in Canada hasn't....the prick in up state New York hasn't....

Nope, the merry band of F-35 bashers with an Australian bent (no I haven't forgotten about you assholes at APA) choose to ignore this story.

But we have at least one main stream writer bucking the trend.  That's at least a little good news.