[MilCom] U.K. F-35 fleet increases capability at Eglin AFB

[Rick Tharrington]

U.K. F-35 fleet increases capability at Eglin AFB

by Maj. Karen Roganov
33rd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

10/26/2012 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- A second British F-35B
Lightning II arrived here Oct. 19, joining the nine A variants of the joint
strike fighter flown by the Air Force and the 13 B variants flown by the
Marine Corps to become the largest fleet of F-35s in the world.

The first class of United Kingdom Royal Air Force and Royal Navy aircraft
maintainers attending courses at the F-35 Academic Training Center met the
jet flown by U.K. Royal Air Force Sqn. Ldr. Jim Schofield.

"It's another exciting day for the United Kingdom and the 33rd Fighter Wing
as we build up the F-35 force. The two U.K. jets now will become the
backbone of test and evaluation at Edwards [Air Force Base] and we will be
adding a third next year," said Sqn. Ldr. Jim Schofield. "It was great to
see the first course of U.K. maintainers as I arrived to the VMFAT-501."

Service members from the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps as well as
coalition partners from foreign nations, such as the U.K., learn how to
operate and maintain the F-35 through a digital training environment. This
kinetic learning system allows the learning to occur through touching and
doing, rather than seeing and hearing.

The U.K. aircraft are imbedded in the Marine Fighter Attack Training
Squadron 501, and are used by both countries to conduct F-35 training. The
arrival of the jet increases the capability for pilot and maintenance
training.

"The fact that we're starting with the same airframe, same formations, same
weapons capabilities, I think that already puts us at a better starting
point when we show up to a combat theater together," said Lt. Col. Lee
Kloos, squadron commander for the 58th Fighter Squadron, of the integration
of forces with the F-35.

Later this month, an RAF and RN pilot will begin instructor pilot training,
making them the first international pilots trained at Eglin on the
fifth-generation, multi-role fighter.

The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program started in 1997. The
program includes plans to replace the Air Force's aging F-16 Fighting Falcon
and A-10 Thunderbolt II, the Marine Corps' short takeoff, vertical landing
AV-8B Harrier and dogfighting and air-to-ground attacking F/A-18 Hornet and
the Navy's stock of legacy Hornets.

(Marine Corps Cpl. Daniel Wetzel, Defense Media Activity, contributed to
this article)


Rick Kd4jrx SENC FM14ab