<div id="subtitle">Defense chief duns contractor Lockheed Martin and fires head of troubled fighter jet program</div><div><p>Defense Secretary Robert Gates is removing at least one senior manager and withholding money from a defense contractor because of continued troubles in the Pentagon's marquee fighter jet program.</p><p>Gates said the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program has missed performance markers and suffered other problems. The F-35 is intended to replace most of the military's aging fleets of fighter jets, including the F-16.</p><p>Gates used a discussion of the Pentagon's proposed budget to announce he is holding back $614 million in performance bonuses from lead contractor Lockheed Martin Corporation.</p><p>He ordered a change in leadership in the Pentagon office that runs the program. He did not announce a replacement for the current program manager, a Marine Corps general, or say whether there will be other firings.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=68261531&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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