Back in the Box.

This article reports that the prospect of a fourth version of the Joint Strike Fighter specialized by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) for close air support is probably dead for at least a decade. The concerns were raised during meetings between program representatives and the U.S. House and Senate staffers to present the new Joint Strike Fighter program plan that reflects a weight reduction strategy devised in recent months for the F-35B. Aerospace officials contend USAF may be positioning itself to add an expeditionary close air support capability about 2015 when the aircraft is more mature. While civilian researchers are looking at Lockheed Martin F-35 derivatives, at this juncture there is little latitude for the services to improvise because of the aircraft's joint nature.