First two F-35A Lightning II military fighter jets arrive at Hill AFB

HILL AFB, Utah, 3 Sept. 2015. The long-awaited and much-anticipated F-35Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), a stealth multirole military fighter jet from Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT], took another step forward with the delivery of the first two F-35A Lightning II aircraft to the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base (AFB). Two F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing variants, known as AF-77 and AF-78, were delivered; 70 more F-35As are scheduled for delivery to the military base.

Col. David Lyons, 388th Fighter Wing Commander, and Lt. Col. Yosef Morris, 34th Fighter Squadron Director of Operations, delivered the first two F-35As to Hill AFB. The jets, known as AF-77 and AF-78, arrived at 1:13 p.m. MDT on 2 Sept. 2015, after an approximate two-hour flight from the F-35 production facility in Fort Worth, Texas. These aircraft are the first two of 72 jets that will be assigned to both the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings at Hill. Photo courtesy of Hill AFB Public Affairs.

“The F-35A Lightning II represents the future of tactical aviation for the United States and our allies,” says Col. David Lyons, 388th FW 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. Hill is the fifth Air Force base to receive the Lightning II. During the next several months, Hill will receive additional F-35As, pilots, and maintenance personnel in order to meet requirements for the declaration of initial operating capability (IOC) in 2016.

“The F-35A Lightning II provides the USAF and international partners a decisive edge over its adversaries,” adds Lockheed Martin F-35 Program General Manager Lorraine Martin. "The exceptional capabilities of this 5th generation stealth fighter are now in the hands of the Hill team.”

The F-35A Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining stealth with fighter speed and agility, fused sensor information, network-enabled operations, and advanced sustainment, officials say. 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.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., 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.