F-35B Lightning II Onboard the USS Essex

12/03/2017
12/03/2017: U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II pilots assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, participate in carrier qualifications aboard the USS Essex (LHD-2) during Exercise Dawn Blitz, Oct. 22, 2017. Dawn Blitz is a scenario-driven amphibious exercise conducted between Expeditionary Strike…

F-35B Lightning II Carrier Qualifications

12/01/2017
12/01/2017: U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II pilots assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, participate in carrier qualifications aboard the USS Essex (LHD-2) during Exercise Dawn Blitz, Oct. 22, 2017. Dawn Blitz is a scenario-driven amphibious exercise conducted between Expeditionary Strike…

The Danes, The Russians and Shaping a Deterrent Strategy

11/28/2017
2017-11-17 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake Denmark is a small country, but an important player in the NATO Alliance and part of the reworking of Nordic defense with Norway, Sweden and Finland to deal with resurgent Russia. Notably, in mid-October 2017, the Danish government released its proposed new six-year…

F-35As Arrive in Japan

11/21/2017
11/21/17: A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II soars over Okinawa, Japan, Nov. 2, 2017, on approach to Kadena Air Base, Japan. [maxgallery id="102799"] This marks U.S. Pacific Command’s first operational tasking for the F-35As and the first time a U.S. Air Force F-35A unit has deployed as a regularly…

Remaining VMFA-121 F-35Bs Arrive in Japan

11/21/2017
11/21/17: U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 lands at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, Nov. 15, 2017. The remaining aircraft represent the last installment of F-35B Lightning IIs assigned to VMFA-121. The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation fighter, which…

The F-35 Final Assembly Line Ramps Up: Digital Thread Manufacturing and Design-Manufacturing-Sustainment Learning Curve

11/14/2017
2017-11-10 By Robbin Laird The F-35 undergoes final assembly and checkout at three plants around the world – in Italy, in Japan and in Fort Worth, Texas. The Italian and Japanese lines are low rate production lines whereas the Fort Worth line is the high rate production facility. The Fort Worth…

Windy Debut for Norwegian F-35s at Ørland Air Station

11/13/2017
2017-11-11 The first F-35s have arrived in Norway as the Norwegian Air Force stands up its initial training capability. According to an article published November 10, 2017 on the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, the ceremony welcoming the new addition to the Norwegian Defence Force was highlighted. Rain, sun, wind and…