Refueling F-35s on European Deployment

04/26/2017
04/26/2017: Airmen from the 349 Air Refueling Squadron use their KC-135 Stratotanker to refuel four F-35A Lightning II fighters on their way to Europe for the first time for a training deployment. Europe is scheduled to begin receiving the fifth generation fighter in the early 2020's. KS, UNITED STATES:04.14.2017 Video by Staff…

F-35s at Atlantic Trident 2017

04/26/2017
04/26/2017: Currently, Langley AFB is hosting a trilateral exercise where 4th generation aircraft from the USAF, the RAF and the FAF are flying with USAF fifth generation aircraft in a high end combat training exercise. F35 taxiing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis during Atlantic Trident 2017. 04.20.2017 Video by Senior Airman Enrique Barcelo…

Transitioning to the F-35: The Aussies and the F-35 Global Enterprise

04/26/2017
2017-04-21 By Robbin Laird During my recent visit to Australia, I had a chance to talk with Wing Commander Steven Bradley, Deputy Director Air Combat Transition Office, which is located in Canberra at Brindabella Park close to the airport. Last year, I visited Williamtown where the initial facilities for the…

F-35s Arrive at RAF Lakenheath: Process Begins of Standing Up a New NATO Capability

04/25/2017
04/25/2017: The video highlights F-35s from Hill AFB, Utah, arrive at Royal Air Force Base Lakenheath, England, for a training deployment And we published an interview from a visit to RAF Lakenheath April 4, 2017 which follows: During my visit to the United Kingdom in March 2017, I had a…

Marines Conduct Hot Load Distributed STOVL Operation with F-35B

04/25/2017
04/25/2017: U.S. Marines with Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) and U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 conducted the first independent Distributed STOVL Operation (DSO) by flying all ordnance, personnel, and fuel in on mission aircraft at Yuma, Ariz., April 13,2017. Marines employed the manual drive…

The Challenge of Shaping Future Capabilities Informing the Evolving Force: The Perspective of Air Commodore Chipman

04/24/2017
2017-04-20 By Robbin Laird I first met Air Commodore Chipman when he was leading the initial Plan Jericho movement. He now has become Director General of Capability Planning in the RAAF and is now faced with the challenge of infusing the forward thinking represented by Plan Jericho into actual capabilities.…