{"id":1277,"date":"2026-05-21T06:04:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T06:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277"},"modified":"2026-05-21T06:04:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T06:04:24","slug":"commentary-f-35-lightning-ii-jet-powers-central-florida-aerospace-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277","title":{"rendered":"Commentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with our congressional leaders and talk to them about the role my small business plays in building and sustaining the F-35 Lightning II, the world\u2019s most advanced fighter jet, and how this incredible aircraft brings jobs and economic impact to our Mount Dora\/Lake County community, the Central Florida region, and the state of Florida.<\/p>

Read more Letters: Adapt to e-bikes | Punishing surrogacy | Laws aren\u2019t always popular<\/a><\/p>\n

Technological ambition has always powered progress, and few industries demonstrate that more clearly than aerospace. Every new breakthrough pushes the boundaries of what is possible, quite literally lifting innovation to new heights.<\/p>\n

We at Data Graphics take pride in knowing that the systems we manufacture support missions around the world, including in regions such as Eastern Europe and the Middle East, where U.S. and allied F-35s are actively demonstrating their capabilities in combat. The advanced manufacturing required to support this aircraft is not confined to a single facility, it happens in communities nationwide. In Florida, the strength and dynamism of the defense industry are on full display.<\/p>\n

A total of 82 employees in Mount Dora produce essential placards, overlays, labels and asset tagging for the F-35 program. Just as the parts we build are among thousands upon thousands of parts that comprise the fighter jet, the F-35 program itself links together a vast network of companies. Collectively, Florida\u2019s F-35 industrial base supports more than 30,000 jobs and contributes more than $23 billion in economic activity. But the importance of the F-35 extends well beyond economic figures.<\/p>\n

The aircraft also strengthens the bonds between the United States and its allies. Nineteen partner nations have joined the program to field the F-35 within their own militaries, creating a global network of fifth-generation capabilities built on American technology. Operations like Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury alongside reports highlighting Israeli F-35 operations demonstrate how the platform\u2019s advanced systems influence modern conflict.<\/p>

Read more These Harry Potter mugs bring magic to your morning coffee<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the jet\u2019s defining strengths is its role as an information hub: collecting, processing, and distributing critical data across the battlespace and among allied forces in real time. In combat, that advantage is clear: the F-35 can coordinate operations while remaining difficult to detect, combining communication, situational awareness and stealth in a single platform.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/figure>\nUnlike many earlier aircraft, the F-35 was designed with the future in mind. Its architecture allows it to incorporate new technologies as they are developed, ensuring the jet continues to evolve as threats change. Expanding production means not only equipping more allied forces but also supporting the companies and workers who build the system \u2014 from major manufacturers to specialized suppliers like Data Graphics.<\/p>\n

Congress can ensure that this program remains a cornerstone of American airpower and a vital contributor to the nation\u2019s security and industrial strength with consistent investment and forward-looking policy decisions. At a time when global security challenges are intensifying, maintaining technological leadership remains essential. The F-35 Lightning II represents that commitment to leadership \u2014 an aircraft that connects allies, strengthens American industry and delivers unmatched capability in the skies.<\/p>

\n<\/div>\n

Buffy Carroll is the vice president of sales at Data Graphics, headquartered in Mount Dora.<\/em><\/p>

Read more Pictures: NASA Lunabotics Challenge 2026 at KSC<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The world’s most advanced fighter jet brings jobs and economic impact to Mount Dora and all of Central Florida.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\nCommentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Commentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry - Orlando Relocation Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The world's most advanced fighter jet brings jobs and economic impact to Mount Dora and all of Central Florida.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Orlando Relocation Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-21T06:04:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4355b3dc563cf103a6ca2810ecfe251d.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1860\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1621\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8\"},\"headline\":\"Commentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-21T06:04:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277\"},\"wordCount\":563,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/b6fb9f004ca7e0488119ba7bb8df3233.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Commentary\",\"Opinion\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277\",\"name\":\"Commentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry - Orlando Relocation Report\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/b6fb9f004ca7e0488119ba7bb8df3233.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-21T06:04:24+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/b6fb9f004ca7e0488119ba7bb8df3233.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/b6fb9f004ca7e0488119ba7bb8df3233.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":734},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=1277#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Commentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Orlando Relocation Report\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Commentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry - Orlando Relocation Report","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Commentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry - Orlando Relocation Report","og_description":"The world's most advanced fighter jet brings jobs and economic impact to Mount Dora and all of Central Florida.","og_url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277","og_site_name":"Orlando Relocation Report","article_published_time":"2026-05-21T06:04:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1860,"height":1621,"url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4355b3dc563cf103a6ca2810ecfe251d.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/#\/schema\/person\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8"},"headline":"Commentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry","datePublished":"2026-05-21T06:04:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277"},"wordCount":563,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b6fb9f004ca7e0488119ba7bb8df3233.webp","articleSection":["Commentary","Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277","url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277","name":"Commentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry - Orlando Relocation Report","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b6fb9f004ca7e0488119ba7bb8df3233.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-21T06:04:24+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/#\/schema\/person\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b6fb9f004ca7e0488119ba7bb8df3233.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b6fb9f004ca7e0488119ba7bb8df3233.webp","width":1024,"height":734},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1277#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Commentary: F-35 Lightning II jet powers Central Florida aerospace industry"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/","name":"Orlando Relocation Report","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/#\/schema\/person\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com"],"url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}