The evolving debate in the US about the future of the F-35A joint strike fighter may open up new opportunities for the Royal Australian Air Force to take a radically different direction in its future capability development.
Under Project AIR 6000 Phase 7, additional F-35As are one option under consideration, bringing the fleet up to a maximum of 100 aircraft in total. There now might be good reason to consider alternatives, rather than rush to embrace an all-F-35A capability.
The current debate in the US focuses on the high sustainment cost of the JSF, and whether the US Air Force really wants to depend so heavily on the aircraft as its core capability amid rising US–China strategic and military competition.
F-35 program office announces a ‘strategic pause’ on new logistics system 2 days ago U.S. Airmen from the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prepare to launch an F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, April 24, 2019. F-35 maintainers use the Autonomic Logistics Information System to monitor the health of the joint strike fighter. (Staff Sgt. Chris Drzazgowski/U.S. Air Force) WASHINGTON The Defense Department is pausing its efforts to field replacement software for the F-35′s troubled logistics system due to a lack of funding, the head of the F-35 program office said Thursday.
US Air Force/Staff Sgt. Emerson Nuñez
The 495th Fighter Squadron, part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, will be called the Valkyries.
The name was picked from a number of candidates submitted by the community for the unit, which is the Air Force s first UK-based F-35 Lightning II fighter squadron.
The US Air Force will call its first UK-based F-35 Lightning II fighter squadron the Valkyries.
The 495th Fighter Squadron, part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, will take on the title, according to a release.
The service announced the nickname for its first overseas Joint Strike Fighter squadron Monday; the name beat other crowdsourced choices, including Archangels, Sabres, Sentinels and Swordsmen, the release states.