Name of F-35 JSF to be released within weeks

Posted on: May. 17th, 2006 || Source: dfw.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

WASHINGTON -- Will it be a soaring bird of prey, a galloping beast or a force of nature, like generations of previous warplanes bearing names such as Eagle, Mustang or Lightning?

Or will it convey the noble tenets of democracy with a name like Liberty or Freedom? Or even human emotion, such as Fury?

Five years after the Pentagon embarked on the joint strike fighter program, the Lockheed Martin F-35 is just weeks away from getting a name, and the final recommendations are as closely guarded as plans for an Air Force bombing strike.

Overseeing the naming process is Gen. T. Michael "Buzz" Moseley, the Air Force chief of staff who grew up in Grand Prairie.

After soliciting recommendations from the military services and eight partner nations helping develop the plane, top Air Force officials have narrowed the list to a handful of finalists and are moving toward a decision by the end of June, Moseley's spokesman said Saturday.

"We're down to a few," said Maj. Glen Roberts. "We're in the finals."

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