A generational change in Australian airpower has been marked with the arrival of the first two RAAF F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters at RAAF Base Williamtown on Monday morning.
The Joint Strike Fighter Program Office has officially cleared the Lockheed Martin F-35 to begin initial operational test & evaluation, the milestone coming as the first two F-35As to be based in Australia arrive in-country.
This feature from the April 2017 magazine edition of Australia Aviation looks at the Lockheed Martin F-35A's appearance at the 2017 Avalon Airshow.
The Royal Australian Air Force has taken delivery of its tenth Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter, with the aircraft arriving at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona last week.
The RAAF has taken delivery of its ninth F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and the first to be taken on strength by its first operational flying unit to fly the jet, No 3 Squadron.
