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  • Lightning strikes the 125th Fighter Wing

    The Florida Air National Guard officially entered the fifth-generation fighter era with the arrival of its first F-35A Lightning II on March 4, 2025. The milestone makes the 125th Fighter Wing, known as ‘the Thunder’, the fourth Air National Guard (ANG) unit to receive the advanced fighter, marking

  • 388th Fighter Wing and RAAF integrate F-35A maintenance at Red Flag 24-1

    Maintainers from the 388th Fighter Wing, 421st Fighter Generation Squadron, and 3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) recently joined forces at Red Flag 24-1, at Nellis Air Force Base, for bilateral maintenance training centered around the F-35A. The primary objective was to allow both

  • Generate Airpower, Check: Kadena ACEs no-notice exercise

    Airmen from the 18th Wing partnered with deployed Airmen from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, to launch multiple F-15C/D Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles and F-35A Lightning IIs during a a no-notice agile combat

  • Reprogramming on the edge at Northern Edge 23-1

    The 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing "Crows" took flight north to participate in Northern Edge 23-1 (NE 23-1), where they supported reprogramming requirements for aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines as they exercised together with international partners in Alaska featuring more than 150

  • AFMC innovation team revolutionizes stealth fighter fleet

    In the latest successes of an innovation project developed by a team of Edwards Air Force Base’s test pilots, software developers from the 309th Software Engineering Group and the Air Combat Command Federal Laboratory, an F-35A Lightning II recently took flight with a complement of software

  • US military showcases airpower at Aero India 23

    U.S. Air Force Airmen from the Air Combat Command F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and the Pacific Air Forces’ F-16 Demonstration Team, Misawa Air Base, Japan, demonstrated diverse aerial combat capabilities at Aero India 23, at Air Force Station Yelahanka, India,

  • Italians produce first F-35 MDF

    Italy became the next F-35 Partner Support Complex (PSC) partner nation to complete its first Mission Data File (MDF) on its own in support of the Italian Air Force F-35 Lightning II fleet.

  • Air Force Unveils New Airpower Ad in Theaters

    The U.S. Air Force plans to unveil their latest commercial titled “Own the Sky” in theaters during moviegoers’ long-awaited release of Top Gun: Maverick. The heart-pounding, adrenaline inducing ad gives the audience a sense of what it might feel like to be on the receiving end of the Air Force’s

  • Young F-35A maintainers benefitting from Red Flag experience

    Maintainers from the 421st Fighter Generation Squadron and the 419th FW's 466th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron are currently deployed to Red Flag, the Air Force’s premier combat exercise. They are generating multiple F-35A sorties twice a day to support the exercise’s large, complex scenarios. For

  • 388th Munitions Squadron begins new familiarization training regimen

    The 388th Munitions Squadron began a new training regimen recently encompassing each of their twelve different sections.Starting in the precision guided munitions section, Airmen from one of the other ten sections in the squadron received familiarization training on the Guided Bomb Unit-39 small

  • Nellis AFB to become 5th Generation Center of Excellence

    The Department of the Air Force announced plans today to make space for a larger fighter presence at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, by realigning the base’s close air support and rescue missions to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, starting in fiscal year 2022.

  • Hill F-35 pilots prepare for worst-case water scenarios

    U.S. Air Force F-35 pilots from the 419th and 388th Fighter Wings met with specialists in Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape – better known as SERE – at a local indoor swimming pool near Hill AFB for a hands-on refresher course on how to survive following ejection. That included simulated

  • Hill Airmen deploy F-35A for large combat exercise

    Airmen from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing here are deploying to Nellis AFB, Nev., to take on a tough adversary – other Airmen. Approximately 200 Airmen from Hill AFB will participate in Red Flag 21-1 from Jan. 25 to Feb. 12.

  • F-35 crews conquer new territory in CENTCOM AOR

    The 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron did something in early July which had never been done before by an F-35A Lightning II unit - go into alert status. The squadron performed alert status exercises to provide the necessary data points to mission planners with the U.S. Air Force Central Command

  • Senate confirms Barrett to be Air Force secretary

    The 85 to 7 vote makes Barbara Barrett the third consecutive woman confirmed to lead the Air Force and its 685,000 total force Airmen. Barrett replaces Heather Wilson who resigned in May. Undersecretary Matthew Donovan served as acting secretary in the interim.

  • Keeping Cool Over Salt Lake

    The day started like any other Thursday fly day. We briefed, put on our flight gear and stepped to the jets. Startup, taxi, takeoff and departure to the airspace all went as planned. Capt. Jonathan Lowell recounts his story and lessons learned after experiencing an integrated power package failure

  • Record-setting first sortie for wing's newest F-35A

    The 388th Fighter Wing set a speed record for bringing online a newly-delivered aircraft last week, flying a local sortie less than five hours after accepting delivery of its 68th F-35A Lightning II. F-35A program’s production and delivery plan was designed to allow rapid aircraft induction and

  • Gunfighters use 1950s tech on F-35 for a huge win

    ‘Things aren’t made the way they used to be’ is a sentiment often tossed around when a new car or appliance breaks down. Even with all the new inventions and integrated technology there’s something to be said about the simplicity of an original design. Gunfighters at Mountain Home Air Force Base,

  • Heritage Flight honors last D-Day celebration

    The U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight team conducted a flyover in honor of the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the last celebration at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, June 6, 2019.The four-ship formation included U.S. Air Force Maj. Paul “Loco” Lopez, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team

  • Program Reflections: As F-35 production grows, DCMA takes aim at DoD goals

    The 2019 INSIGHT Magazine covers the many ways DCMA supports America's National Defense Strategy. This article highlights the agency’s work with the F-35 program.F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter production is about to reach new heights. Low rate initial production 11, or LRIP 11, calls for 141

  • U.S. Air Force's F-35A performs first sortie during Middle East deployment

    F-35A Lightning II pilots assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron flew their first combat sortie in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility April 26, 2019, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. The fleet of F-35s deployed from active duty 388th and reserve 419th

  • Hill F-35A units assist in F-16 fighter training

    Brand new F-16 pilots received a unique training experience here with the help of the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings and the F-35A Lightning II.For the last two weeks, F-16 basic course students and instructor pilots from the 311th Fighter Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base, New

  • Hill Airmen, F-35 a lethal combo at Red Flag

    Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing’s 4th Fighter Squadron wrapped up flying operations with the F-35A Lightning II in an “exponentially more challenging” Red Flag. The 4th FS integrated the F-35A into a large, capable “Blue Force” in diverse missions against an equally capable “Red Force.” Nearly

  • Red Flag adjusts for today’s challenges

    The 414th Combat Training Squadron (CTS), which oversees Red Flag, is making changes to the exercise for improved efficiency at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Red Flag is a realistic multi-domain training exercise that maximizes the combat readiness and survivability of participants by providing a

  • 388th FW, 419th FW fly 10,000th F-35A sortie

    Maj. Daniel Toftness, a reservist in the 419th Fighter Wing, departs for a sortie in an F-35A Lightning II Oct. 18, 2018, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The flight marked the 10,000th sortie with the aircraft at Hill since the first operational F-35s arrived in September 2015.

  • Republic of Korea Air Force F-35A pilot takes first flight

    After a year of preparation and instruction through the 944th Operations Group Detachment 2, Lockheed Martin and their active duty team members at the 56th Fighter Wing, Maj. Kiyun Jung, ROKAF F-35A pilot, flew his first solo mission.

  • Vice President Mike Pence visits Nellis AFB

    Vice President Mike Pence made his way to Las Vegas Jan. 11, 2018, to attend the grand opening of the first AFWERX facility and visit the men and women of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

  • Gunfighters complete first F-35 transport

    An F-35A Lightning II belonging to Luke AFB, Airzona, was moved for repairs after being grounded here for the past year. The aircraft was moved to the F-35 Depot at Hill AFB, Utah, with the help of the 366th Equipment Maintenance Squadron crash and recovery team.

  • Hill AFB, UTTR evaluation exercises close

    Evaluation exercises Combat Hammer and Combat Archer ended August 18 at Hill AFB and the Utah Test and Training Range. Both are part of the Weapons System Evaluation Program, or WSEP.

  • Hill, Robins to provide F-35 software sustainment

    Hill has earned another big piece in the future of sustaining the F-35, America’s newest fighter jet. The base already provides depot level modifications and maintenance on the Air Force’s entire F-35 fleet. Now, the Ogden Air Logistics Complex’s 309th Software Maintenance Group will be part of an

  • F-35As fly in weapons evaluation

    Airmen from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings supported and flew their F-35A Lightning II aircraft during Combat Hammer, the first operational air-to-ground weapons evaluation for the Air Force’s newest fighter jets.

  • 433rd WPS integrates with new 6th WPS F-35s

    The United States Air Force Weapons School teaches graduate-level instructor courses that provide the world's most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to officers of the combat air forces and mobility air forces.

  • Fighter wings successfully field test F-35A ammunition loader

    The 388th Fighter Wing, the Air Force’s first F-35 operational wing, recently received five F-35A bulk ammunition loaders for field use. Airmen extensively tested one of the loaders June 6-9 during an engineering validation and verification evaluation here. The mobile loader lets weapons experts

  • Luke AFB temporarily cancels F-35A local flying ops

    The 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, cancelled local flying operations today for F-35A Lightning II aircraft due to a series of five incidents in which pilots have experienced hypoxia-like symptoms.

  • F-35As deploy to Estonia for the first time

    Two F-35A Lightning II aircraft and approximately 20 supporting Airmen arrived at Ämari Air Base, Estonia, today, from RAF Lakenheath, England. The F-35As are participating in their first-ever training deployment to Europe. The aircraft and total force Airmen and are from the 34th Fighter Squadron,

  • Red Flag 17-1 pushes domain, fifth-gen integration

    As coalition pilots, intelligence analysts, and cyber and space operators convene at the Nevada Test and Training Range north of Las Vegas, for Red Flag 17-1, they have one goal in mind: work together to defeat the adversary, which at times is 20 living adversaries simultaneously working to attack

  • MQ-9 participates in Red Flag 17-1, integrates with F-35

    Two MQ-9 Reapers and multiple aircrews from the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing participated in Red Flag 17-1 from Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, 2017, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. This was the first time the MQ-9 and F-35A Lightning II have integrated in an exercise.

  • Youngest maintainer at Red Flag launches America’s youngest jet

    The future belongs to the young. Nathan Kosters, the youngest F-35 crew chief in the 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, was born in 1996. “The Macerana” was No. 1 on the charts (somehow), “Independence Day” topped the box office and the F-16 Fighting Falcon had already been flying for 22 years.

  • F-35A, maintainers proving reliable at Red Flag

    When it comes to the F-35A, much is made of the edge its fifth-generation technology gives pilots, but America’s newest fighter aircraft is also proving capable in the hands of maintainers.

  • F-35A Lightning maintenance sparks Red Flag 17-1

    The debut of the F-35A Lightning II at Red Flag has afforded the pilots and maintainers of the aircraft a chance to be a part of the Air Force's premier air-to-air combat training exercise.

  • Air Mobility Command enables delivery of Israel’s first F-35s

    SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Air Mobility Command Airmen worked around the clock to ensure Israel’s first two F-35 aircraft were delivered Dec. 12, making the U.S. ally the only country in the Middle East flying a fifth generation fighter aircraft. The 618th Air Operations Center, based out of

  • 61st FS F-35 ground emergency at Mt. Home AFB

    A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing experienced a ground emergency at about 12:20 p.m. EDT Sept. 23 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

  • Carlisle: F-35A is fusion warfare key component

    During a panel session at the Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Sept. 20, F-35A Lightning II senior leadership discussed the future of the multi-role aircraft.

  • Air Dominance and the Critical Role of Fifth Generation Fighters

    U.S. Air Force General Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, discussed the importance of air superiority and the need to assure it by modernizing the Combat Air Force during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee in Washington, D.C., July

  • Lightning over UK: USAF F-35A takes first overseas flight

    The Air Combat Command F-35A Heritage Flight team accomplished the U.S.’ first transatlantic flight in an F-35A Lightning II, with refueling support from a KC-10 Extender, when it touched down at RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, June 30, 2016.

  • F-35A nearly combat ready

    The first 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.

  • F-35 parts store moves to new, larger location

    The Airmen of the 99th Logistics Readiness Squadron F-35 Aircraft Parts Store at Nellis AFB will be moving to a new location and assisting with Air Force’s technical training school house curriculum in order to provide the ability to accomplish their mission more efficiently.

  • Hill F-35s form up for combat training

      F-35 pilots here began flying routine four-ship combat training missions at the Utah Test and Training range in the west desert this week. Active duty and Reserve pilots from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings will use the jet’s intricate computer network to evade a series of simulated threats.

  • AF names candidate bases, criteria for choosing next F-35A sites

    Air Force officials announced April 12 that Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida; Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas; and Whiteman AFB, Missouri, are candidate bases for the first Reserve-led F-35A Lightning II location.

  • F-35 to touch down at air shows around the world

    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.

  • F-35As visit Mountain Home to test readiness

    Six F-35As arrived at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, Feb. 8, 2016, from Edwards AFB, Calif., to begin an operational deployment test at a nearby range complex. The test will help develop the concept of operations as well as validate the aircraft's capability to deploy.In order for the U.S. Air Force to