07/02/2016: F-35B making its first transatlantic flight. Three F-35’s flew from MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina and landed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England. They were assisted by two KC-10’s. Footage courtesy of Cpl. Brian Burdett: 6/29/16
07/02/2016: F-35B Lightning IIs depart from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort June 29. Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 pilots and maintainers are traveling to the United Kingdom to support the Royal International Air Tattoo and the Farnborough International Airshow. Personnel and equipment from both the U.S. Marine Corps and the…
2016-06-26 By Robbin Laird Last April, I had the chance to talk with Air Commodore Smyth about the coming of the F-35 to RAF Marham. And just down the road from Marham is RAF Lakenheath where the USAF will operate its UK-based F-35s. Flying the same aircraft in the same airspace…
2016-06-02 In this video from the Dutch Ministry of Defence, two Dutch F-35s, which had been operating as part of the test group at Edwards AFB, are seen crossing the Atlantic. Accompanying them is the Dutch Minister of Defence in her Gulfstream along with two Dutch tankers. A number of F-16s…
2016-05-27 Earlier this week, the Defence Committee of the Danish Parliament held a hearing on the government’s decision to buy the F-35 as the new fighter aircraft for Denmark. On May 12, 2016, the Danish government made a decision to select the F-35 as their fighter replacement choice and released…
2016-06-03 An important achievement in European military cooperation has been the European Air Transport Command. According to the European Air Transport Command (EATC) website: On 1st September 2010 a new chapter in the book of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) was opened, as the EATC was inaugurated in Eindhoven,…
2016-05-26 Earlier, we were at Pax River on February 5, 2016, when the first F-35 arrived from Italy and performed the first trans-Atlantic crossing of an F-35. We wrote at the time: On Feb. 5, the Italian Air Force’s first F-35, AL-1 with code “32-01” and markings of the 32 Stormo Wing…
2016-05-19 By Robbin Laird We have argued throughout the discussion of fifth generation aircraft that the transition was about the re-norming of airpower. It was about reshaping airpower as airpower leads a broader transformation of US and allied combat forces to prevail in 21t century environments and to meet 21st…
