Australian F-35A flying out of Luke Air Force Base, USA (credit Lockheed Martin)
The first squadron of ten F-35B Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) are operational after the United States Marine Corps (USMC) declared Initial Operating Capability (IOC) on 31 July 2015.
RAAF personnel working with JSF will be tapped into an international support network and will have the opportunity to work alongside Defence industry to sustain the JSF fleet.
Australia is scheduled to achieve IOC for its first Squadron of F-35s to be based at Williamtown in 2020.