Hill AFB, Utah, Sept. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The first two
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the
388th Fighter Wing were officially delivered to the base today. The
two F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing variants, known as AF-77
and AF-78, are the first of 72 F-35As scheduled for delivery to the
base.
"The F-35A Lightning II represents the future of tactical
aviation for the United States and
our allies," said Col. David Lyons,
388th Fighter Wing Commander. "Alongside our 419th Fighter Wing
counterparts, we're excited to usher in a new era of combat
capability for the Air Force."
Today's delivery marks the stand-up of the 10th F-35
base – with Hill the fifth U.S. Air Force base – to receive the
F-35 Lightning II. During the next several months, Hill will
receive additional F-35As, pilots and maintenance personnel in
order to meet requirements to declare Initial Operational
Capability in 2016.
"The F-35A Lightning II provides the USAF and international
partners a decisive edge over its adversaries," said Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin F-35 Program
General Manager. "The exceptional capabilities of this 5th
generation stealth fighter are now in the hands of the Hill team
and we couldn't be prouder of our warfighters at the 388th and
419th Fighter Wings."
The F-35A Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining
advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor
information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment.
Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16
for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18
and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of
fighters for at least nine other countries.
For additional information, visit our website: www.f35.com
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace
company that employs approximately 112,000 people worldwide and is
principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology
systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for
2014 were $45.6 billion.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company