COMBAT EDGE
THERE IS A genuine feeling in the US Air Force that the F-35A is coming of age. Pilots are now willing to discuss the shortcomings of their latest fighter, but they are quick to note that these are mainly historic and that the expected arrival of the ‘full-up’ Block 3F software will mark the Lightning II’s maturity.
Speaking to Combat Aircraft during exercise ‘Atlantic Trident’ and the recent deployment to RAF Lakenheath, UK, F-35A pilots made no secret of the fact that despite still being limited to 7g, they’ve been able to ‘beat up on’ their colleagues in ‘legacy’ fighters. The F-35 isn’t running scared from getting into visual fights, and it’s interesting that for all the bravado about not being seen and avoiding the close-in scrap, the USAF still places great emphasis on this aspect of aerial warfare.
Notable too is how the USAF is willing to take its F-35s down low. In a similar move to a detachment of F-22s last year, the Hill F-35s that deployed to Lakenheath undertook a low-level mission in the UK low-flying training areas. While this was undoubtedly a great opportunity to grab some aviation headlines and incredible photographs, it demonstrated a willingness to put the F-35 into a …
