Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
Lockheed Martin and its international partners developed the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) in three basic versions: the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35A, the short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B and the carrier-variant (CV) F-35C. Since the first F-35A flew in December 2006, the fleet has racked up more than 155,000 flight hours, including more than 17,000 during development testing.
Delivery of production aircraft began in 2011 and the F-35B achieved initial operational capability (IOC) with the US Marine Corps in July 2015. The F-35A followed with the USAF in August 2016. The carrier-variant entered service with the US Navy in February 2019. More than 760 have been manufactured since production began in 2006.
Norway to retire F-16 fleet by year end
The Royal Norwegian Air Force will retire its fleet of F-16AM/BM (MLU) Fighting Falcons by the end of the year leaving the service reliant on its new F-35A stealth fighter for all fixed-wing combat duties from 2022 onwards
VMFA-225 become latest USMC F-35 squadron
Marine fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 225 ‘Vikings’ of Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, performed its first flight with the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma on September 25
UKCSG21 performs exercises with Singapore Defence
The UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) led by flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth conducted exercises with both the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and Navy over the weekend, and will dock in Changi, Singapore, on October 11
US Navy F/A-18E refuels RAF F-35Bs for the first time
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning IIs assigned to the RAF’s No 617 Squadron ‘The Dambusters’ have conducted buddy-buddy air-to-air refuelling operations with a US Navy-operated Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet for the first time
USAF F-35As complete final nuclear bomb flight test
Operating from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on September 21 two USAF Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft released the B61-12 joint test assemblies
F-35 lands on Japanese vessel for first time
A US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter has conducted a landing and take-off verification activity with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer IS Izumo recently in the waters south of Shikoku Island
UK unaffected by F-35 rebaselining
The production rebaseline of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter programme is not expected to impact the delivery schedule of UK aircraft currently on contract, following the publication in late-September of a revised industrial output by Lockheed Martin
F-35 fighter production rebaseline agreed
The F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin have agreed on an F-35 production rebaseline to recover from an aircraft shortfall following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
USAF’s first Europe-based F-35A unit activated at Lakenheath
During a ceremony at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, on October 1, the USAF re-activated the first USAFE Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation multi-role stealth fighter squadron as part of the resident 48th FW
MQ-25A refuels F-35C in-flight for the first time
Boeing’s MQ-25A Stingray test asset marked yet another milestone on September 13, when the platform completed its first aerial refuelling of a US Navy-operated Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II fifth-generation multi-role stealth fighter
