An F-35A, in flight above the Mojave Desert in California, January 6, 2023. A developmental test team from the 461st Flight Test Squadron conducted the first flight of an F-35 in the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) configuration at Edwards Air Force Base, California. (Courtesy photo – F-35 JPO) The aircraft passed the Functional Test Flight …
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Canada Finalizes Agreement To Acquire 88 F-35s
File photo of an F-35A (Lockheed Martin) As part of the largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 30 years, Canada is purchasing the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II. On Jan. 9, 2023, Canada announced the finalisation of an agreement with the United States (US) government and Lockheed Martin with Pratt & Whitney …
The F-35 Lightning II Will Get A New Radar
A U.S. Air Force F-35A of the 493rd Fighter Squadron during the recent Falcon Strike 2022 exercise in Italy. (Photo: Stefano D’Urso/The Aviationist) The new APG-85 radar will replace the older APG-81 on the upcoming Block 4 fighters. Last year, the U.S. Air Force’s unfunded wish list for Fiscal Year 2023 mentioned the procurement of …
‘Small Number’ Of U.S. And International F-35s Grounded After F-35B Incident At Fort Worth
The F-35B after the incident on Dec. 15, 2022, at Fort Worth (Image credit: Gherardo Fontana/@GFontana767) Some Israeli and U.S. F-35s among the aircraft affected by a technical directive issued by the F-35 Joint Program Office. Some F-35s, including at least 11 F-35s of the Israeli Air Force, and an unspecified number of U.S. F-35s …
Italian Navy And U.S. Marine Corps End F-35B Training Agreement At MCAS Beaufort
Italian and U.S. Marines F-35B pilots and maintainers stand in front of two F-35B fighter jets at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort after the ceremony for the end of the joint training agreement. (Photo: Italian MoD) The Italian pilots and technicians have been training on US soil since 2018. The Italian Ministry of Defense disclosed …
Take A Look At These Photos Of An F-35 Flying With The ALE-70 Towed Decoy Door Open
A quite rare sight: an F-35 flying with the flare and ALE-70 towed decoy dispenser doors open. (All images: Steve Fortson) The ALE-70 towed radio frequency countermeasure is stored under a hatch next to the dual infrared countermeasures dispenser doors, that appear to be open too. The images in this post were taken last week …
Lessons Learned In Ukraine Helped Shape Falcon Strike 22, The 5th Gen-Centric ‘European Red Flag’
Italian F-35A and F-35B closely follow a C-130J during a photographic session for Falcon Strike 2022. (Photo: Alessandro Fucito) Designed for 5th gen fighter jets, Falcon Strike 2022 increased interoperability and cooperation to obtain the air dominance, taking also into account the lessons learned from the current situation in Ukraine. Exercise Falcon Strike 2002, held …
U.S. And Dutch F-35s Have Flown Without Radar Reflectors During First Week Of ‘Falcon Strike 2022’
U.S. Air Force F-35A landing at Amendola without RCS Enhancers (All photos: Stefano D’Urso/The Aviationist) Some of 5th gen. aircraft have operated in “full stealth mode” to train in the most realistic scenarios. As we already reported, F-35s from Italy, United States and the Netherlands are training together at Amendola Air Base, in southern Italy, …
F-35s From Italy, U.S. And The Netherlands Train Together During ‘Falcon Strike 2022’
An Italian Air Force F-35A of the 6° Stormo (Wing) takes off for the daily main wave of the Exercise Falcon Strike 2022 at Amendola Air Base. (All photos: Stefano D’Urso/The Aviationist) The large-scale exercise focuses on fifth and fourth-generation integration, with F-35s flying both as Blue and Red Air. From November 15 to 28, …
USAF F-35A Crashes at Hill AFB, Utah. Pilot Ejected.
A documents image of a U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II from Hill AFB Utah.(TheAviationist.com)Pilot of F-35 that collapsed at Hill AFB expelled and also required to a healthcare facility for monitoring. The pilot of a U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II is hospitalized after expeling from their airplane prior to it collapsed near Hill …