US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was expected to clear the short take-off/ vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter from a probation period that could have led to its cancellation, according to sources familiar with the decision. Panetta was scheduled to travel to Patux-ent River Naval Air Station in Maryland on 20 January - the location for F-35B testing - and where Pentagon sources said he would announce that he was lifting probation on the jump jet variant. The announcement had not been made as Jane's went to press. Then defense secretary Robert Gates put the F-35B on probation on 6 January 2011 when he announced his Fiscal Year 2012 budget decisions for the programme. He was concerned about developmental problems unique to the B model - including deficient fatigue life in the bulkhead, excess vibration in the auxiliary air inlet doors, excess lift fan clutch heating, excess wear on the lift fan driveshaft and excess heat at the site of the roll post actuators. All the issues were adding a cost burden to the overall programme as well as schedule delays to the B model's development timeline.
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