PHOTO: F-35A Weapons Separation Test
On Monday, April 29, an Air Force F-35A performs a weapons separation test with a 4G load factor.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Endorses F-35
A post on the Lexington Institute’s Early Warning blog argues that political support for the F-35 program is growing. Recently, previous skeptic Sen. John McCain expressed support, and now General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gives an enthusiastic endorsement of the program. From the post by Loren Thompson: Now comes additional praise from the nation’s top military officer, Joint Chiefs Chairman | Read More »
F-35B Conducts First Night Time Vertical Landing
An F-35B Lightning II completed the first short takeoff and vertical landing during a test mission at night to expand the flight envelope and deliver capability to the warfighter. Marine Corps test pilot Maj. C.R. Clift conducted the flight April 2 to gather data on the helmet and lighting conditions for night time operations. The test was one of a series of events being conducted | Read More »
Marine Corps F-35B Conducts First Vertical Landing
On March 21, 2013, the Marine Corps’ first operational F-35B performed its first Short Take Off, Vertical Landing (STOVL) operations at MCAS Yuma, Ariz. Check out the video:
First F-35A aircraft REPORT TO NELLIS AFB FOR OPERATIONAL TESTING
FORT WORTH, Texas, March 19, 2013 – Three Lockheed Martin F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft were officially welcomed by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. during a commemorative ceremony today. The jets are assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron of the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group. “For more than 50 years, it’s been our privilege | Read More »
F-35 Program VP: The Untold Truth About The F-35
Late last month, Time Magazine printed an article about the F-35 program, titled “The Most Expensive Weapon Ever Built“. Critical of the Joint Strike Fighter Program and focusing on the challenges it faces, the article contained several inaccuracies, according to Orlando Carvalho, Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 Program for Lockheed Martin. In a letter to the editor of Time, a truncated version | Read More »
Video: F-35 Lightning II 2012 Year in Review
Lockheed has released a video showing highlights from the F-35 Lightning II program in 2012, including production, flight test and deliveries.
Flashpoint Blog Assesses F-35 Program
Following the recent grounding of the F-35B, the U.S. Marine Corps variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, there has been a lot of criticism of the program. But is cutting or scaling back the program in response to setbacks the best solution? With a fair and accurate assessment of the program and the proposed solutions to some of the problems it faces, the American Security | Read More »
Two Test F-35C Complete Dual Refueling
In the Joint Strike Fighter’s latest testing milestone, this photo shows two F-35C Lightning II carrier variant test aircraft refuel together with a Lockheed Martin KC-130 Hercules for the first time, in the sky above Patuxent River, Md. Photo by Lockheed Martin
AETC declares Eglin ready for F-35 training
From the Eglin Air Force Base press release: Following an independent evaluation of Eglin’s capability to conduct F-35A Lightning II pilot training, Air Education and Training Command announced today the 33rd Fighter Wing can do so, starting in January. “The preliminary results provided by the Joint Operational Test Team show the F-35A aircraft and its pilot training and sustainment systems, are robust enough to conduct | Read More »
Marines at Yuma Accept Delivery of F-35B
Three Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft were officially delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps during ceremonies at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., on November 20. The three jets are assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 residing with the host Marine Aircraft Group 13. “For more than 50 years, it has been our mission to support the Marine Corps mission, and | Read More »
Eglin Completes 500th F-35 Sortie
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Nov. 5, 2012 – The Integrated Training Center (ITC) here completed its 500th combined local sortie for both the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) and F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft Friday. Flight operations for the F-35 began on the Emerald Coast March 6. There are currently 22 F-35s at Eglin as the fleet continues to grow | Read More »
Air Force Chief of Staff Visits F-35 Factory
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh, III, visited the F-35 Lightning II factory in Fort Worth, Texas on Oct. 22, 2012. Check out the video below to see the highlights of Gen. Welsh’s tour of the factory, and be sure to visit F35.com for more information on the Joint Strike Fighter program.
F-35A Completes First In-Flight Weapons Release
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., Oct 17, 2012 – An F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft, completed the first in-flight weapons release of a 2,000 pound GBU-31 BLU-109 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) from a 5th Generation fighter, Oct. 16. The flight was conducted by U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Phillips. The aircraft, known as AF-1, jettisoned an instrumented GBU-31 over the China Lake | Read More »
Popular Mechanics: Emerging Threats to U.S. Stealth Jets
There is an interesting article in Popular Mechanics this week that examines how Russian defense technology has moved towards increasing their anti-stealth capabilities in recent years. Some Russian defense experts are even claiming their newer systems may have the ability to combat even the stealthiest American fighter jets–including the F-35 Lightning II. The article provides details of the various stealth features of the F-35 compared | Read More »
F-35 and F-22 Flying In Formation For First Time
The world’s first two fifth generation fighter jets, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II, flew together for the first time anywhere on Wednesday morning. Click here for a full slideshow of the flight, and visit F35.com for more information on the F-35 program! (Photos by Maj. Karen Romanov and Msgt Jeremy Lock)
Major Milestone Reached For F-35 At Eglin
This week marked a major milestone for the F-35 at Eglin Air Force Base, as Air Force officials began Operational Utility Evaluation (OUE) for the aircraft, a big step toward beginning pilot and maintenance training for the service. The review should last approximately 65 days, and will involve two fighter pilots from the 33rd Fighter Wing. From Eglin’s release: “The start of the OUE is | Read More »
F-35 Completes 200th Sortie at Eglin Air Force Base
In a promising sign of continued progress on the F-35 program, test pilots have completed their 200th sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, according to coverage on Flight Global. From the article: US Marine Corps Maj Joseph Bachmann, a test pilot assigned to VMFAT-501, flew Eglin’s 200th sortie with the type on 24 August. Bachmann was instructing one the unit’s transitioning pilots, USMC Maj Mike | Read More »
F-35 Completes First Weapons Separation Test
The F-35 Lightning II accomplished a significant test milestone Aug. 8 when the aircraft successfully released a weapon in flight. BF-3, a short take-off and vertical landing F-35 variant, released an inert 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) separation weapon over water in an Atlantic test range while traveling at 400 knots at an altitude of 4,200 feet. “While this weapons separation test is | Read More »
Luke Air Force Base Selected For F-35 Pilot Training
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley announced recently that Luke Air Force Base, in Glendale, Arizona has been chosen as the location of the Air Force’s F-35A Lightning II pilot training center. The base is set to receive 72 aircraft for a total of three fighter squadrons. “This is a great day for Luke,” said Brig. Gen. JD Harris, 56th Fighter Wing commander. “Our selection for | Read More »
F-35 News: Reaching New Testing Milestones
Image courtesy of Lockheed Martin Following a Forbes report from earlier this month arguing that despite some public perception, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program is actually “progressing nicely,” news from Lockheed Martin this month shows that the F-35 progress continues, with the 5th generation fighter meeting some critical testing milestones recently. The F-35B variant recently successfully completed an asymmetric weapons load test, | Read More »
Forbes: F-35 “Progressing Nicely”
When speaking about the F-35, it seems almost a default for many in the media to zero in on the problems with the program. As Loren Thompson points out in Forbes this week, the word most often used is “troubled” when speaking about the 5th generation fighter jet. But what about the areas where the program is succeeding? In a timely piece that successfully counters | Read More »
Lockheed: F-35 Oxygen System ‘Very Different’ Than F-22
With last month’s news about the oxygen problems some pilots are reporting with the F-22 Raptor, many began asking questions about the possible similarities between the systems of the troubled fighter and its sibling, the F-35 Lightning II. While the plane has faced many challenges as it continues initial production and testing, would the oxygen systems also cause some pilots apprehension? Lockheed has officially responded, | Read More »
House Votes Against Democrats’ Bid To Kill F-35B
“The importance of the F 35B short takeoff vertical landing variant to the Marine Corps and the Nation cannot be overstated.”- Rep. Buck McKeon, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Yesterday, the House voted to reject an amendment to the defense authorization bill that would have effectively killed the Marine Corps. variant of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter. The amendment was added | Read More »
Washington Times – Real Consequences of Delaying F-35 Program
Retired Gen. John D.W. Corley and retired Gen. William R. Looney III of the United States Air Force have a powerful opinion piece in the Washington Times detailing the consequences of delaying high-rate production of the F-35 fighter jet. They argue that the F-35 is vital to the future of air combat as fourth-generation fighter jets continue to age; we need to provide American troops | Read More »
![[RS]](/t/img/logo-footer.jpg){kind=logo}
