USAF begins first F-35A operational deployment

[Ethan]

he US Air Force (USAF) has begun its first operational overseas deployment of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), with a number of aircraft arriving in Europe on 15 April.

At least four aircraft from the 34th Fighter Squadron (388th Fighter Wing) and the Air Force Reserve's 466th Fighter Squadron (419th Fighter Wing) based at Hill Air Force Base (AFB) in Utah were photographed arriving at Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath in the UK. Jane's understands that a total of six F-35As arrived, with two more to follow.

After a short bedding-down period, they will begin a training and NATO reassurance mission that will see them operate throughout Europe over the course of several weeks. As noted by the USAF, the trans-Atlantic deployment is being supported by Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft flying maintenance equipment and personnel.

This deployment to Europe has been long-touted by the USAF, with the former chief of Air Combat Command (ACC), General Herbert Carlisle, saying ahead of the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2016 that he had "no qualms" about sending the F-35A into operations as soon as initial operating capability (IOC) was declared.

That is the whole purpose of IOC," Gen Carlisle said at the time, adding, "We have a capability plan that we are working on that would first see the F-35 deployed on a TSP [Theater Security Package] to either Europe or the Pacific. Will it be in the Middle East? Yes, absolutely. That isn't in our near-term plan, [but] I would send the F-35 into combat in a heartbeat if a commander asked for it."

That IOC milestone achieved in August 2016, with the aircraft fitted with the Block 3i software (initial full combat capability).
The F-35A is the latest USAF asset to be deployed to Europe since the breakdown in relations with Russia over the invasion and subsequent annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea.
http://www.janes.com/article/69607/usaf-begins-first-f-35a-operational-deployment

 

[جزر المحيط]

بريطانيا تستلم دفعة من F-35As " مقاتلتين " وتخطط لنشرها في الشرق الاوسط ..

 

[Ethan]

Actually, this is the second aircraft, the fifth generation actually inside the service, while some are still being tested on the models they own.

 

[جزر المحيط]

هذه الطائرة الثانية التي تدخل الخدمة ..

 

[MAX]

Actually, this is the second aircraft, the fifth generation actually inside the service, while some are still being tested on the models they own.

الصين أدخلت طائرتها الشبحية J-20 للخدمة أيضا شهر مارس الفائت.

 

[Ethan]

The F-35A is in England. What’s next?

WASHINGTON — Within a couple hours, eight U.S. Air Force F-35As will have arrived at RAF Lakenheath, England, for a month of practicing dogfighting and combat maneuvers with the United Kingdom and potentially other NATO allies.

Six F-35As from the active-duty 34th Fighter Squadron and reserve 466th Fighter Squadron, both located at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, landed at RAF Lakenheath on Saturday — marking the first time the Air Force version of the jet has been sent abroad for training.

Once the last two jets arrive on Wednesday, pilots will get ready to start training with U.S. F-15Cs and Es located at RAF Lakenheath, Eurofighter Typhoons owned by the U.K. Royal Air Force and perhaps Dutch F-16s, with further exercises still in the works, said Lt. Col. George Watkins, commander of the 34th Fighter Squadron. Lessons learned will help inform the bed down of U.S. Air Force F-35 squadrons that will be permanently based at Lakenheath in the early 2020s.

The deployment comes at a delicate time for the U.S.-Russian relationship, which was rocked by the U.S. military’s recent Tomahawk strike on Syria that was prompted by a deadly chemical weapons attack on civilians. As a result, the Air Force has walked a thin line on messaging, with statements noting that although it was partially bankrolled by the European Reassurance Initiative funds meant to boost NATO capability against a resurgent Russia, the deployment was long-planned and should not be understood as a response to heightened tensions in the region.

Watkins characterized the deployment to Europe as a “natural progression” that started with a proof-of-concept deployment last year to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, followed by the squadron’s recent trip to Nellis AFB, Nevada, for Red Flag.

“All that was done locally [in the United States], and then this is our first overseas deployment with the F-35, so we’re just taking it step by step,” he said. “We came to a base where they are looking forward to hosting F-35s in the future as an organic squadron here, so we’re kind of taking ideas and learning from these guys, and doing some local training, and then we’ll return back to Hill.”

Over the first week, F-35 pilots will start off doing air-to-air exercises with U.S. Air Force F-15Cs and F-15Es permanently located at Lakenheath, as well as engagements against other F-35As acting as adversary air, Watkins said. Pilots will practice dogfighting one-on-one and doing combat maneuvers in two-on-two formations with simulated weapons, including the laser-guided GBU-12, 2,000-pound joint direct attack munition and A-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.

From there, activities will ramp up to small and large force exercises with U.K. Eurofighter Typhoons and potentially Dutch F-16s, he said. Other NATO aircraft could also join in for that training, but have not been confirmed yet.

“We’re not super firm if the Dutch are playing with us or not, and it’s not out of the question to have other NATO fourth-gen players participate in our exercise as well,” he said.

All training exercises will take place over U.K. airspace — further minimizing the risk of miscalculation by Russia or other nations. However, F-35s will conduct “out and back” flights to other NATO countries to familiarize themselves with the region, although the locations of those sorties will not be announced will not be announced until after the planes have safely landed back at Lakenheath.

The Air Force has sent 215 pilots, maintainers, support personnel and security officers to England. That’s more manpower than what’s needed for an event of this size, but the service wanted as many airmen as possible to benefit from the deployment, Watkins explained.

For day-to-day maintenance, management and mission planning, operators will rely on the F-35’s logistics hub, the Autonomic Logistics Information System.

“We’ve had pretty good luck with ALIS so far,” he said. “We sent a team to make sure that everything was set up and ALIS was running, and they got it set up in record time. It went really smooth to get everything set up, hooked up and talking across the IP addresses.”
http://www.defensenews.com/articles/the-f-35a-is-in-england-whats-next