In Related...

 ... developments. 

Japan and the US are in discussions on joining forces to develop interceptors capable of shooting down hypersonic weapons, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada has said. Hamada made the announcement at a press conference after talks with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Tokyo on Thursday. “Regarding defense equipment and technology cooperation, we’ve agreed to deepen cooperation and to advance discussions on unmanned aerial vehicles as well as the possibility of joint development in the future of an interceptor to counter hypersonic technology,” he said.

Or, as Derek Zoolander would say...

... continuing talking about this conversation will, certainly, ensure the advancement in this field as long as it suits US military contractors. Japan, for all her magnificent robotics, cars and other consumer technology is not big on military rocketry, being a recipient of the American air defense systems for decades. While Congo-class Aegis equipped DDGs of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force are good ships, they still are the carriers of same ol' SPY-1D radar and a variety of SM-3 missiles honed (allegedly) for anti-ballistic missile defense. Considering a dismal performance of US made air defense complexes in the last decade one can easily conclude a very low level one has to start from in order to create something capable of going full Monty against straight flying hypersonic weapons. Against violently maneuvering ones? Good luck with that...

Meanwhile, the never-ending story...

May 30—WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin's F-35 engines are being overworked and could lead to an extra $38 billion in overhauls in the next few decades to help cool radar and other components of the fighter jets, according to government auditors. "The cooling system is overtasked, requiring the engine to operate beyond its design parameters," the Government Accountability Office wrote in its 91-page annual report released Tuesday. "The extra heat is increasing the wear on the engine, reducing its life, and adding $38 billion in maintenance costs." Unless there is an effective fix, engine overhauls might come sooner than expected and add another item to the Pentagon's $1.7 trillion estimate to operate and maintain the fleet until its operational end in the late 2080s. 

Boy, this (barely) flying embarrassment of a combat aircraft just cannot get out of a forest of problems. I am sure NATO countries and America's lapdogs in Asia will be happy to get this lemon. After all, as "sources" continue to report:

The GAO's report disclosed that the cost of the Block 4 upgrade has grown by an additional $1 billion to $16.5 billion, and half of Lockheed's 2022 aircraft deliveries were late. However, the demand for F-35s has grown internationally. Global interest in the fighter jet has increased since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and tensions with China have increased. 

Ah, yes, F-35 is a good match against SU-35 or SU-57, wink, wink. I wonder what will Turkiye decide on her indigenous fighter and what may become a stop-gap measure for Turkish Air Force in coming years. Something tells me it will not be F-35. At this stage combat proven packages such as SU-35 with R-37 or same for SU-57 look extremely attractive for many. F-16 is nearing a complete obsolescence in the modern battlefield with supersonic speed and now that Erdogan secured his Presidential tenure things may start happening pretty fast.