Senate votes to delay F-35

Source URL: http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/14885178.htm
Posted at: http://www.air-attack/com/news/news_article/1769

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate passed a $517.7 billion defense spending measure Thursday that would delay initial production of the first F-35 joint strike fighters by a year while restoring a backup engine for the plane that the Pentagon wanted to kill.

By a vote of 96-0, the Senate passed legislation that authorizes fiscal 2007 military spending. The measure cuts $1.2 billion the Pentagon wanted that would enable Lockheed Martin to begin building the first 21 production F-35s.

The spending cut, which would have to be agreed to by the House, would delay production for one year to allow for more development and flight testing.

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