Lockheed vice president lauds F-35 workforce Published Aug. 3, 2017 By 412th Test Wing Public Affairs EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Jeff Babione, Lockheed Martin F-35 executive vice president and general manager, visited the Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Test Force July 20 and hosted an all hands event in one of the ITF’s hangars. Babione praised the ITF’s important achievement of carrying out the system development and demonstration phase of the F-35 program to its upcoming completion. “The work [the ITF members] are doing, alongside everyone else on the SDD program, to finish strong is outstanding. While the team is well on their way to closing out SDD, they still have a number of mission critical tests to complete and there is no doubt in my mind that they will finish strong,” said Babione. Joining Babione on stage for the all hands were J.D. McFarlan, Lockheed Martin vice president of F-35 test and verification; Mike Glass, Lockheed Martin director of the Edwards ITF; and Fred Ross, LM vice president of program management. They discussed the importance of crossing the finish line on the SDD program, while also recognizing five employees for exemplary performance. “Finishing SDD is a major milestone in this 16-year program,” McFarlan said. “Completing flight test is one of the most visible things we can do to show Congress we are ready for follow-on modernization.” The JSF ITF and the 461st Flight Test Squadron conduct developmental testing for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.