The US Navy's version of the F-35 stealth fighter jet is "ready for combat," officials said Thursday, marking another milestone in the development of the most expensive weapons program ever.

"The F-35C is ready for operations, ready for combat and ready to win," Vice Admiral DeWolfe Miller, who commands Naval Air Forces, said in a statement.

"We are adding an incredible weapon system into the arsenal of our Carrier Strike Groups that significantly enhances the capability of the joint force."

The F-35 "C" variant has been developed for the Navy and is capable of taking off and landing from an aircraft carrier.

Its wingtips can fold up to create more room on the huge ships.

In August 2017, the Air Force announced initial operational capability for their version, the F-35A.

The F-35B, used by the Marine Corps, is capable of short take-offs and vertical landings, and flew its first combat missions last year over Afghanistan.

Launched in the early 1990s, the F-35 program is considered the most expensive weapons system in US history, with an estimated cost of some $400 billion and a goal to produce 2,500 aircraft in the coming years.

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Honeywell awarded $150M for advanced turbine propulsion developmentw/ll
Washington (UPI) Feb 22, 2019
Honeywell Aerospace was awarded a contract for work on the Advanced Turbine Technologies for Affordable Mission, or ATTAM, Capability Phase I program, the Defense Department announced on Thursday. The competitive contract, valued at $150 million, was won by Honeywell Aerospace, headquartered in Phoenix, after consideration of 54 offers, according to the Air Force Research Laboratory. Work on the program will be to develop, demonstrate, and transition advanced turbine propulsion, power an ... read more