If you missed Wednesday April 21, 2010’s NewsHour on PBS, watch Kwame Holman’s report on the controversial fighter below in five chapters.

The Pentagon’s forthcoming warplane, the Joint Strike Fighter, is intended for use across the different branches of the military but has come under fire in Congress for skyrocketing costs and delays. Skeptics and defenders of the aircraft, which will be called the F-35, express their views in the following extended interviews. Author and journalist Bill Sweetman says for the first time the re-equipment plans of the U.S. fighter force is reliant on one program and one manufacturer:

Chapter 3:
Former Capitol Hill staffer Winslow Wheeler says the F-35 was doomed from the start because of its three different functions and use by multiple services:

Watch Chapter 1

Watch Chapter 2

Watch Chapter 4

Hundreds of F-35 aircraft suppliers coordinate with Teamcenter

The first phase of F-35 collaboration linked 5,000 users at facilities with security safeguards to ensure compliance with USA International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). To date, more than 6,500 users across the extensive supplier…

Community Support Key to Arrival of F-35 in Yuma

The Yuma community received some reassurance Tuesday that the Marine Corps Air Station will be at the forefront of military technology in the coming years.
A representative of the local base, Lt. Col. Geoffrey Olander, told a community support group that indications are that MCAS Yuma will get its first F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in May 2012…

New F-35 program head named as Vice Admiral David Venlet

The Pentagon will name Vice Admiral David Venlet, commander of the Naval Air Systems Command, to run its F-35 fighter plane program, an influential defense analyst with knowledge of the plan, said on Tuesday. Venlet will get the job after U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he would restructure…

Vermont Air Guard being considered for the new F-35 fighter jet

With the Vermont Air National Guard among the contenders to receive new fighter jets, Raymonde Perron of Winooski asked the pilots whether they could keep the noise down when they fly overhead. Perron and LaMothe attended an open house Monday at the O’Brien Community Center

Understanding the real dollar impact of Luke and other military operations in Arizona

Beyond what these brave soldiers do in protecting our nation each and every day, their contributions to our state cannot be overlooked. Their operations impact our everyday economic lives; this is the untold, and oftentimes overlooked, Arizona story.

Goodyear’s city council recognizes the importance of Luke Air Force Base and the F-35 mission

Over the past two decades, the city of Goodyear has taken bold steps to ensure development around Luke Air Force Base’s Southern Departure Corridor remains compatible with Luke’s mission.