DefenceTalkThe Air Combat Command F-35A Heritage Flight team accomplished America’s first transatlantic flight in an F-35A Lightning II, with refueling support from a KC-10 Extender, when it touched down here June 30. This historic flight, which brought the team to England from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, was a first for not only the F-35A; […]https://www.defencetalk.com/first-usaf-f-35a-takes-overseas-flight-to-england-67774/

DefenceTalkThe Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is the most advanced aircraft in the Pentagon’s arsenal, but Russia’s powerful over-the-horizon Podsolnukh (Sunflower) radar is capable of detecting and tracking the stealth fifth-generation plane or any other fighter jet that was designed to avoid detection, Svobodnaya Pressa reported. The Podsolnukh short-range over-the-horizon surface-wave radar is developed by […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russian-made-sunflower-radar-is-capable-of-detecting-f-35-jets-67766/

DefenceTalkThe first off-station deployment exercise for the F-35A Lightning II confirmed that the Air Force’s newest fighter jet is on track to reach initial operational capability later this year. A declaration of IOC means the F-35A will be combat ready. Seven F-35A aircraft and 181 personnel from Hill’s active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-force-says-f-35a-nearly-combat-ready-67741/

DefenceTalkToday, the F-35 was officially selected as Denmark’s future fighter aircraft. Terma looks forward to continue and increase cooperation with Lockheed Martin and their partners. The announcement from the Danish Minister of Defence declares that Denmark will acquire 27 F-35As. “It is with great pleasure that I receive the news of the decision on the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/denmark-selects-new-fighter-aircraft-67625/

DefenceTalkEDWARDS AFB: Several media members and Royal Netherlands Air Force representatives stopped by May 10 to cover a big story. In about a week, most of the Dutch component of the F-35 Joint Operational Test Team will head to their homeland where they will conduct test sorties and introduce their fifth-generation fighter to the people […]https://www.defencetalk.com/dutch-f-35-ot-contingent-prepping-to-head-overseas-67488/

DefenceTalkF-35 Lightning II pilots from Hill Air Force Base began flying routine four-ship combat training missions at the Utah Test and Training Range in the west desert May 2. Active-duty and Reserve pilots from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings used the jet’s intricate computer network to evade a series of simulated threats. They worked […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-force-f-35s-form-up-for-combat-training-67443/

DefenceTalkThe F-35A Lightning II program took another step toward initial operational capability yesterday when two aircraft assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron successfully employed four laser-guided bombs on the Barry M. Goldwater Range. This marked the first weapons release by F-35s assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base. “Yesterday we were […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35as-drop-first-laser-guided-bombs-67091/

DefenceTalkLUKE AIR FORCE BASE: Aviation and F-35A Lightning II fanatics have something special to look forward to this 2016 air show season. The Lightning II qualified March 6 at the Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, to take part in the Air Combat Command Air Force Heritage Flight program. The program features […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35-to-touch-down-at-air-shows-around-the-world-66986/

DefenceTalkAirmen from the 388th and 419th fighter wings dropped laser-guided bombs at the Utah Test and Training Range the week of Feb. 25, marking the first time an F-35 Lightning II combat unit has deployed weapons from the F-35A. Lt. Col. George Watkins, the 34th Fighter Squadron commander, said dropping weapons from the F-35 allows […]https://www.defencetalk.com/hill-afb-f-35s-drop-first-weapons-66892/

DefenceTalkMBDA has commenced deliveries of a quantity of Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAM) for the forthcoming integration of this infra-red air dominance missile onto the UK’s F-35B. The first missile was delivered to the US during January in conjunction with BAE Systems (the UK’s F-35 weapon integration lead). ASRAAM will be the first UK […]https://www.defencetalk.com/mbda-delivers-asraam-missiles-for-f-35-integration-66685/