F-35 Archivi - Aviation Report

First F-35C, Lightning II Class Graduates TOPGUN

Pilots from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125 “Rough Raiders” and VFA-147 “Argonauts” were the first TOPGUN students to complete the course in the F-35C Lightning II. Maj. Derek Heinz from the Rough Raiders and... Read More...

Lockheed Martin delivers 500th F-35 aircraft and the fleet surpasses 250.000 flight hours

Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office delivered the 500th F-35 and in February, the F-35 enterprise surpassed 250,000 flight hours. The 500th production aircraft is a U.S. Air Force F-35A, to be ... Read More...

Italian Air Force receives its first F-35B Lightning II

On Saturday 22, the third F-35B Lightnng II ordered by the Italian Defense left the production site located at Cameri (NO), being commissioned by the Italian Air Force. Italian Air Force has plans for 15 F-35B ... Read More...

Vermont Air National Guard 158th Fighter Wing F-35As train in Florida

Women and men of the 158th Fighter Wing train at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, returning to Vermont in late March. Members, aircraft and support equipment departed this week for a training event known as South... Read More...

Hill’s AFB F-35As conduct massive combat power exercise with 52 aircraft Elephant Walk

The active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing conducted a combat power exercise with a massive Elephant Walk on Jan. 6, launching 52 F-35A Lightning IIs in rapid succession. Hill AFB hosts, ... Read More...

Pentagon and Lockheed Martin sign 2020 F-35 $1.9 billion sustainment contract

The F-35 Joint Program Office awarded the Lockheed Martin industry team a $1.9 billion contract to support operations and sustainment of the global F-35 fleet, while improving mission readiness and further redu... Read More...

Lockheed Martin delivers 134 F-35s in 2019, exceeding annual commitment

Lockheed Martin delivered the 134th F-35 aircraft for the year today, exceeding the joint government and industry 2019 delivery goal of 131 aircraft. One hundred and thirty-four deliveries represent a 47% incre... Read More...

Norway declares Initial Operational Capability for F-35A

Norway becomes the third European country to declare IOC, after Italy and the United Kingdom

November 6th 2019 Norwegian air chief Brig. Gen. Tonje Skinnarland declared Norway's F-35As operational after completing a deployment in November meant to validate that they are able to operate the jets awa... Read More...

About one dozen of US Marines F-35B embarked on USS America LHA-6

Approximately one dozen, fully-operational F-35B Lightning IIs embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) Oct. 8 during routine training in the eastern Pacific. The F-35Bs are assigned to M... Read More...

FIRST UK F-35 FIGHTER JETS LAND ONBOARD HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH

First UK F-35B fighter jets land onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth

UK F-35 Lightning jets landing, taking off and hovering onboard Britain’s next generation aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time

Flown by Royal Navy and Royal Air Force pilots, the F-35B Lightning jets are embarking in the 65,000 tonne carrier to conduct operational trials off the East Coast of the USA. This follows successful developmen... Read More...

USAF 33rd Fighter Wing fires live AIM-9X missiles for the first time

For the first time, Airmen from the 33rd Fighter Wing fired AIM-9X missiles from F-35A Lightning II Sept. 17-19 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, during exercise Combat Archer. The 33rd Fighter Wing is crossing... Read More...

Italy first to deploy F-35 fighter aircraft to NATO mission in Iceland

For the first time modern 5th generation fighter aircraft will execute NATO’s peacetime Air Policing mission safeguarding Icelandic airspace for three weeks in October. Italy will be the first Ally to deploy si... Read More...

First two F-35s for the US Air National Guard arrive in Vermont

The United States Air National Guard ushered in a new era of air power capability as its first to stealth jets F-35s, AF17-5265 and AF17-5266, arrived at the Vermont Air National Guard Base in Burlington. “T... Read More...

Lockheed Martin demonstrates multi-domain operations between F-35, U-2 and ground stations

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®, the Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Air Force successfully connected an F-35, U-2 and a multi-domain ground station in a ground-breaking test demonstrating multi-domain operati... Read More...

UK F-35B Lightning jets train with USAF B-2A stealth bombers

A Bomber Task Force deployment of B-2A Spirit stealth bomber aircraft, Airmen and support equipment from the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, have arrived in the U.S. European Command area of... Read More...

HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier sails for US to embark for the first time UK-owned F-35s

HMS Queen Elizabeth has sailed from her homeport Portsmouth on august 30 ahead of testing the UK’s F-35B Lightning fast fighter jets for the very first time. The Royal Navy’s biggest warship will be working wit... Read More...

USMC F-35B completes simulated Combat Air Patrol with live AIM-9X missile

First operational F-35B live-fire of the AIM-9X missile in the Indo-Pacific region

Marine fighter pilots with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, launched from the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp , deployed in the Pacific Ocean, to rehearse Combat Air Patrol... Read More...

BAE Systems received a contract from Lockheed Martin to enhance the EW capabilities of the F-35s

BAE Systems has received a Block 4 Modernization contract award from Lockheed Martin to enhance the offensive and defensive electronic warfare (EW) capabilities of the F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter... Read More...

US F-35B FRCE Fleet Readiness Center East

New F-35 modification facility brings strategic capability to Fleet Readiness Center East

A recently-completed facility will bring a new strategic capability to Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) and the F-35B Lightning aircraft line next year. FRCE is the lead site for depot-level maintenance on th... Read More...

Operation Rapid Forge 2019 concluded July 25 at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany

The 10-day operation helped ensure U.S. forces’ ability to fulfill the European Deterrence Initiative, a policy to assure and defend NATO allies, while promoting deterrence in an increasingly complex security e... Read More...

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