The USAF has confirmed Nellis AFB in Las Vegas will be the home of its F-35 operational test and evaluation (OT) unit and will also receive a number of F-35As for the weapons school (WA) there. Following the May release of an environmental impact statement (EIS) into basing the new jets at Nellis, the USAF’s
With the UK’s decision last year to switch its preferred model of F-35 from the STOVL F-35B to the more conventional but carrier capable F-35C, the UK MoD is looking to swap the sole F-35B it has funded to date with an F-35C. The swap, which the Pentagon has reportedly described as “mutually beneficial” and
The first low rate initial production (LRIP) Boeing P-8A Poseidon made its first flight from Boeing’s Renton plant on July 7, the manufacturer has announced. The aircraft, the first of six LRIP P-8As to be built, flew for three hours before landing at Boeing Field in Seattle.
The first Lockheed Martin F-35A to be assigned to the USAF’s 33rd Fighter Wing arrived at the F-35 Integrated Training Center (ITC) Eglin AFB in Florida on July 14 to commence aircrew and maintainer training for all three US services. The aircraft, AF-9, will be used for activities in concert with training F-35 pilots and
The RAAF now has 18 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets in service with the delivery of a further three jets to RAAF Base Amberley last week. The jets – A44-216, -217 and -218 – were ferried across the Pacific by 6SQN aircrews, and touched down at Amberley on July 14. They comprised the fourth batch of
The Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) is set to continue service with the ADF in Afghanistan, after Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced a contract extension until the end of 2012. Currently operated by the RAAF’s 5 Flight with personnel from the RAAF and Australian Army, the Kandahar based Heron provides aerial support and
