May 29, 2024 (by Lieven Dewitte) - An F-35B Lightning II en route from Lockheed’s Fort Worth, facility, to Edwards Air Force Base, California, crashed after a refuelling stop at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico on Tuesday at 14.00h.
The F-35 (BF-139) was being flown by a Defense Contract Management Agency pilot, who safely ejected but was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.

The jet was a short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant and was one of very few F-35 developmental test aircraft. Originally accepted by the government in September 2023, it was equipped with Technology Refresh 2 and was transferred to Edwards AFB for additional test equipment modification.

The loss of a test aircraft is bad news for the F-35 program, which is already strapped for testing capacity as it tries to finish a new hardware and software package for the jet, called Technology Refresh 3. Lawmakers added more test F-35s in the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act to help handle testing and evaluation for the upcoming Block 4 upgrade.

According to a May report from the Government Accountability Office, the program has faced delays because of its small developmental testing fleet.

Testers “predicted that once software deliveries for TR-3 and Block 4 capabilities are back on schedule, the current testing fleet could face significant challenges in meeting testing demands,” the report said.

Deliveries of new F-35s have been on hold since July because of software problems with the TR-3 upgrade. The new jets are stacking up at Lockheed’s facilities, waiting for TR-3 to be finished.

Another Marine Corps F-35B crashed in September 2023. The jet went missing near Charleston, South Carolina after the pilot ejected safely and the plane kept flying for 60 miles. Authorities eventually found the jet’s debris a few hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston.

In late December 2022, an F-35B crashed on the runway of Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth during a vertical landing attempt. That pilot, an Air Force major doing tests on behalf of the Defense Contract Management Agency, was sent to the hospital and was later released after healing from minor injuries.

That incident prompted F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office officials to ground some models of the F-35 and pause deliveries of the aircraft. It also prompted them in February 2023 to identify a "rare system phenomenon" in F135 engines, which they noticed during inspections. They resumed deliveries the following month.

While the exact cost of the aircraft varies, the average flyaway cost of a new Marine Corps F-35 is $109 million, according to JPO.

When considering the number of flight hours the F-35 program has accumulated since they started flying back in 2006, the crashes are relatively rare.

May 15, 2024 (by Lieven Dewitte) - On May 14, 2024, the third F-35A destined for the Belgian Air Force completed its maiden flight. The aircraft took off from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility in Texas around 15:00h and flew for approximately one hour.
The Belgian F-35A (serial AY-03) features a colored roundel and the national flag on its tail, along with the tail code FL003 (“Fighter Lightning 003”). It is unclear if all Belgian Air Force F-35As will have the full colour national markings.

The 34 Belgian Lightning IIs will all be completed in the US with only the central wings and outer wing boxes constructed at the FACO facility in Cameri (Italy).

The first four F-35As will be delivered to Luke AFB (AZ) where they will join 312th Fighter Squadron, part of the 56th Fighter Wing. This squadron was inactivated in 1991, but reactivated on 1 June 2023 as an F-35A training unit, primarily training F-35 crew for the Belgian Air Force.

The remaining thirty aircraft will be based at Kleine Brogel and Florennes air bases. However, the latter will not see the first aircraft arriving before April 2025 and Kleine Brogel will have to wait until 2027.

Belgium formally received its first F-35A (FL001/AY-01) during a roll-out ceremony at the Fort Worth production facility in the United States on 10 December 2023.

September 18, 2023 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Military officials are searching for an F-35 fighter jet in South Carolina after a mishap forced the pilot to eject.
The pilot ejected safely and was taken to a local medical facility in stable condition1. The aircraft, an F-35B Lightning II jet, is currently being sought by emergency response teams. The jet belongs to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 501, a unit focused on training pilots to meet annual training requirements.

The aircraft’s last known position was near Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, two large bodies of water northwest of the city of Charleston, according to Joint Base Charleston, which asked for the public’s help finding the aircraft.

A South Carolina Law Enforcement Division helicopter joined the search for the F-35 after some bad weather cleared in the area.

The F-35B is used by the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as by the British Royal Air Force and Italy's air force, and can perform vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL). This variant of the F-35 is similar in size to the A variant but the B sacrifices about a third of the A variant's fuel volume to accommodate the shaft-driven lift fan (SDLF) system.

January 10, 2023 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Canada announced the finalization of a $14.2 billion deal with the United States (US) government and Lockheed Martin with Pratt & Whitney for the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The first planes are expected to enter the RCAF in 2026 with the full fleet being operational by 2033 or 2034.
With the agreement, Canada becomes the last of the F-35 program’s original eight partners to acquire the stealth fighter jet.

The selection of the F-35 5th generation aircraft as part of the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) Canada to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fleet of F/A-18s had been announced in March 2022.

"The F-35 will be essential for protecting Canadians, enhancing Arctic security and national sovereignty, and enabling Canada to meet its NATO, NORAD and other obligations well into the future," Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said in a statement.

NORAD is a joint US-Canadian command that provides air and missile defense for North America.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, notably, the F-35 has experienced a surge in demand.

In 2022 Germany, Switzerland and Finland made deals for the F-35, while NATO allies Greece and the Czech Republic also announced requests to buy the stealth aircraft.

F-35s are currently – or will soon be – a member of the fleets of Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Poland, Belgium, and Singapore, in addition to the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.

The jets come in three versions, the standard F-35A, the short-take off and vertical landing F-35B, and the aircraft carrier version, the F-35C.

Canada will buy the F-35A model to replace its aging CF-18s.

“Canada requires a fighter fleet to protect the sovereignty of one of the largest expanses of airspace in the world” – the country’s vast Arctic frontier – Anand said.

To that end, the $14.2 billion (19 billion Canadian dollars) price tag includes construction at two air bases in Alberta and Quebec, and associated equipment and services.

The first four aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2026, the next six in 2027, and the next six in 2028, with the full fleet to arrive in time to enable the phase out of the CF-18s by the end of 2032.

As an original member of the F-35 program, Canadian industry has seen $2.8 billion in contracts to date related to the construction of the fighter jet, the government said.

Te Government of Canada launched the competitive process to acquire new fighter jets in 2017. A formal request for proposals was released to eligible suppliers in July 2019. It closed in July 2020. Dassault and Airbus decided to withdraw their Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon proposals in 2018 and 2019, respectively, saying that the requirements favored the US bids. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Saab, proposing the Super Hornet Block III, the F-35A Lightning II and the Gripen E respectively, were asked to show how their bids could meet not only the military requirements of the RCAF for missions both at home and abroad, but also provide benefits for the national industry.

In November 2021, it was announced that the replacement proposal based on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, one of the favorite bids considered that the RCAF already operates the “legacy” version of the Hornet, was rejected as it did not meet the federal government’s requirements. Canada ultimately selected the F-35 from the two remaining bidders, Lockheed Martin and Saab.

January 9, 2023 (by Lieven Dewitte) - The F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin have finalized the contract for the production and delivery of up to 398 F-35s for $30 billion, including U.S., international partners and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) aircraft in Lots 15 and 16, with the option for Lot 17.
The agreement includes 145 aircraft for Lot 15, 127 for Lot 16, and up to 126 for the Lot 17 contract option, including the first F-35 aircraft for Belgium, Finland and Poland.

Lot 15-17 aircraft will be the first to include Technical Refresh-3 (TR-3), the modernized hardware needed to power Block 4 capabilities. TR-3 includes a new integrated core processor with greater computing power, a panoramic cockpit display and an enhanced memory unit.

These aircraft will add to the growing global fleet, currently at 894 aircraft after 141 deliveries this year. The F-35 team was on track to meet the commitment of 148 aircraft as planned; however, due to a temporary pause in flight operations, which is still in effect, necessary acceptance flight tests could not be performed.

The finalized contract caps off a year of the F-35 delivering combat-proven airpower around the world and continued international growth. This year, Finland, Germany and Switzerland signed Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs) as an important step in their procurement of F-35 aircraft.

F-35 program participants currently include 17 countries. To date, more than 1,870 pilots and 13,500 maintainers have been trained, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 602,000 cumulative flight hours.

December 16, 2022 (by Lieven Dewitte) - A Lockheed Martin-owned F-35B "Lightning II" has ended up nose-down off the side of the runway at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in Texas after a mishap on Thursday. The pilot ejected safely during the incident, which comes on the anniversary of the F-35's first flight in 2006.
Although the specifics of the accident are still unknown, video depicts the F-35B in hover as it starts to drop vertically. The jet makes its initial touchdown, then bounces back up into the air before making a hard nose-first down on the runway. Before the aircraft rolls onto the grass and the pilot exits, the nose gear is seen completely breaking off. It is important to note that this was a demonstration of the Martin-Baker US16E ejection seat of the jet, with it safely functioning with aircraft on the ground and essentially stopped.

The seat, which is common to all F-35 aircraft variants, is a further development of the Mk16 range that has already been successful with the T-6 Texan II, Eurofighter Typhoon, NASA T-38N and USAF T-38 upgrade programmes and other numerous aircraft platforms around the world.

The F-35 accident happened at just before 10:15 local time.

Lockheed Martin's main F-35 production facility in Fort Worth shares the runway with Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.

This follows an incident two weeks ago with a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B, which experienced a nose gear collapse after making an emergency landing at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa, even though there is no indication that the two occurrences are connected in any way.

Thursday was also the anniversary of the first flight of the F-35A, which occurred on Dec. 15, 2006. The first time an F-35B variant took to the air was on June 11, 2008.

December 2, 2022 (by Matthew M. Burke and Keishi Koja) - A Marine Corps stealth fighter was damaged Thursday following a precautionary landing at an Okinawa air base.
A suspected electrical problem prompted the pilot to land the F-35B Lightning II, assigned to VMFA-121 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, at Kadena Air Base without incident at approximately 13:40h, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing spokesman Maj. Rob Martins wrote in a statement to Stars and Stripes.

Kadena Air Base is home to the Air Force’s 18th Wing.

While the fifth-generation fighter was being towed on the flight line, the front landing gear malfunctioned and the aircraft’s nose dropped onto the ground, Martins said. He said the incident caused no injuries. Video from Japanese public broadcaster NHK shared Thursday on Twitter showed the F-35 stopped on a taxiway with its nose gear collapsed.

“The pilot performed as trained and chose the safest option, landing the aircraft safely in accordance with standard procedures,” Martins said in the statement. “Operating our aircraft safely and effectively is a top priority and our aviators take great precautions to ensure the safety of the aircrew and the surrounding areas.”

The fighter was conducting “standard training operations” in local ranges at the time of the incident, Martins said in a follow-up email to Stars and Stripes. After the aircraft landed, it was surrounded by fire engines and emergency vehicles, NHK reported Thursday afternoon.

It is unclear how much damage was done to the fighter, Martins said in his email. He said a “detailed investigation” will be conducted.

“The mishap class will be determined by the investigation,” Martins wrote in the email.

The military defines mishaps by class from A to D. Class A mishaps involve repair costs exceeding $2 million or the death or permanent disability of a service member. A Class D mishap involves $25,000 to $59,999 in property damage and injuries ranging requiring first aid up to missing a day from work.

The Marine Corps has had three Class A mishaps in manned aircraft in 2022, according to data on the Naval Safety Command’s website.

A spokesman for the Okinawa Defense Bureau, a branch of the Japanese Ministry of Defense, said Thursday evening it is aware “the nose of an F35 touched the ground” but is awaiting details.

A spokesman for Okinawa prefecture’s Military Base Affairs Division said it was waiting for information from the defense bureau. Gov. Denny Tamaki had not yet made a public comment on the incident.

The short-takeoff, vertical-landing fighter has been plagued by high costs and technical issues since its inception.

October 19, 2022 (by Lieven Dewitte) - An F-35A Lightning II from the 388th Fighter Wing crashed at Hill Air Force Base on Wednesday around 18:15h. The pilot ejected and was recovered by emergency crews.
The jet crashed at the north end of the runway 14 just as it was returning from a local training session over the Utah Test and Training Range.

The pilot made a great effort to avoid any buildings or anything on the ground prior to ejection, which resulted in no injuries to anyone on the ground.

Prior to the crash smoke was coming from the engine of the F-35.

The downed jet sparked a fire that spread about eight to 10 acres in size on Defense Department land. Crews were able to quickly extinguish the blaze.

The cause of the crash is unknown but is being investigated.

January 24, 2022 (by Asif Shamim) - An F-35C Lightning II, assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, had a landing mishap on the deck while USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) was conducting routine flight operations in the South China Sea on January 24.
The pilot safely ejected from the stricken aircraft believed to be with Strike Fighter Squadron 147 (VFA-147), the “Argonauts." and was recovered via U.S. military helicopter. The pilot is in stable condition.

There were seven total Sailors injured; three Sailors required MEDEVAC to a medical treatment facility in Manila, Philippines, and four were treated by onboard medical personnel.

All three MEDEVACs are assessed as stable. Of the four Sailors treated by on-board medical, three have been released. Additional details and the cause of the inflight mishap are under investigation.

This is the second mishap involving an F-35 operating from an aircraft carrier. A British F-35B from 617 Sqn plunged into the Mediterranean Sea last November during a failed takeoff attempt from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

January 6, 2022 (by Lieven Dewitte) - A South Korean F-35A jet fighter conducted an emergency "belly landing" at an air base on Tuesday after its landing gear malfunctioned due to electronic issues.
The touchdown with the landing gear retracted, was a first for the $100 million stealth fighter, which is currently in use or on order by more than a dozen countries.

A gear-up landing on the F-35 is quite difficult and dangerous because of the angle of attack the aircraft has on final approach.The F-35 Lightning II lands much fast er than the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Ahead of the death-defying maneuver, special foam was applied to the air base’s runway in order to stop the plane from exploding due to the friction and sparks created as it scrapes the tarmac at high speeds.

Seoul has currently halted all operations involving the F-35.

Although this is the first time a South Korean F-35 has been involved in an accident, the jets have been involved in at least eight other mishaps (JDSAF:1, RAF: 1, USAF:4, USMC: 2)

The most recent was the loss of a British F-35 fighter jet in November, when it fell into the Mediterranean Sea off the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. The pilot successfully ejected from the plane.

When a US Air Force F-35 crashed on landing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in May 2020, the pilot ejected safely. The disaster was blamed on a number of problems including the pilot and the plane's systems.

A Japanese F-35 fighter jet crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of northern Japan in April 2019, killing the pilot. The crash was blamed on spatial disorientation by the Japanese military.

The first F-35A for the RoKAF, known as aircraft AW-1, took flight in Fort Worth, Texas, in March 2018. In the same year, the first F-35A was delivered to Luke AFB, Arizona, for pilot training while in 2019, the first F-35As were delivered to their permanent base in South Korea.

The ROKAF’s 17th Fighter Wing and its two child units, the 151 Fighter Squadron and 152 Fighter Squadron, operate the F-35 out of Cheongju Air Base, southeast of Seoul.

January 6, 2022 (by Bjorn Claes) - Just before noon today the Norwegian Air Force marked a significant milestone. After reaching IOC status back on 6 November 2019, today marked another milestone with the startup of the QRA assignment from Evenes AB in the north of the country.
Norway has been steadily working on tranforming its air force to conduct operations with the F-35 over the past years. This event marks the final transition from the F-16 to the F-35 with the first ending 42 years of operations for the RNoAF. In the past the QRA assignment with the F-16s was conducted from Bodø AB roughly 300km more to the south. With the arrival of the F-35 it was decided to base all these aircraft at Ørland AB with a QRA detachment not in Bod&oslash AB but further to the north at Evenes AB to better counter Russian aircraft flying around the north of Scandinavia.

In the coming years more F-35s will be delivered with the full complement of 52 jets being ready in 2024 whereas FOC will be reached in 2025 with all operations to be conducted with the F-35. This does not mean the F-16 will soldier on till then. The Norwegian staff has already decided that the F-16s swannsong will be somewhere in 2022 with an exact date still to be decided on. But that the end of the F-16 era is drawing to a close fast is certain. This also marks a special event as Norway will be the first of the original F-16 consortium to phase out this jet.

December 15, 2021 (by 48 FW) - RAF Lakenheath received its first delivery of F-35A Lightning II aircraft on December 15. This is the result of a force posture adjustment that has been six years in the making.
Announced in 2015, the long-anticipated arrival of the F-35 marks RAF Lakenheath as the first base in United States Air Forces in Europe to receive the new fifth-generation aircraft.

“Our coalition forces train and fight in the most dynamic theater, requiring the most advanced platforms," said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa commander. "The Valkyries are leading our F-35 integration across Europe. We’ve come a long way, and now we’re extending our reach as a coalition force and what we will accomplish together."

RAF Lakenheath was selected in 2015 to host the first U.S. F-35A squadrons in Europe based on very close ties with the RAF, existing infrastructure, and combined training opportunities. The U.K. is a critical component in training and combat readiness for Air Forces in Europe due to its excellent airspace and F-35 program partnership.

"Valkyries' epitomizes the force’s move toward more inclusivity and equally represents the fifth-generation stealth fighter’s air superiority," said Lt. Col. Ian McLaughlin, 495 FS commander. "Like the Valkyries themselves, we’ll be vital to determining the fate of our adversaries in the battlespace."

The F-35A is an agile, versatile, high-performance, 9g-capable multirole fighter that combines stealth, sensor fusion, and unprecedented situational awareness. The aircraft will belong to the 495th Fighter Squadron, which was nicknamed the “Valkyries” during a voting contest in 2020. The new F-35 squadron will consist of 24 aircraft, delivered in a phased approach.

"The amount of support we received, and continue to receive, from the community both here and back home has been overwhelming and highly appreciated," said Col. Jason Camilletti, 48th Fighter Wing commander.

December 10, 2021 (by Bjorn Claes) - The Finnish government authorized the Finnish Defense Forces Logistics Department to establish a procurement deal with the US for the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II on December 10, 2021.
Finland orders a total of 64 F-35A Block 4 multi-purpose fighters. Included in the deal are large-scale and adaptable weaponry customized to Finnish conditions as well as the essential training and maintenance solutions, other auxiliary equipment and maintenance and servicing services until the end of 2030.

The Lightning II met the requirements of security of supply, industrial cooperation and cost decision areas, according to the evaluation of the Finnish HX Fighter Replacement Programme (HX-FRP) procurement. The F-35A's operation and maintenance expenses will be within the yearly defense budget and lifecycle development will be doable using existing Defense Force resources.

Lockheed Martin's industrial cooperation is primarily focused on direct industrial cooperation, which results in strong independent maintenance capabilities. The large-scale manufacture of F-35 front frames in Finland for other users, the fabrication of structural components and the ability to test and maintain equipment are the most important industrial cooperation initiatives. In addition, Finland is offering a final engine assembly project for Air Force aircraft.

The HX program has a total budget of EUR 10 billion. Parliament has authorized a EUR 9,4 billion order for the fighter project to acquire a Hornet replacement system, as well as a EUR 579 million five-year transfer appropriation. The present transaction is estimated to be valued EUR 8,4 billion. The aircraft cost EUR 4,7 billion, with EUR 755 million going to AMRAAM and Sidewinder weapons. Maintenance equipment, spare parts and replacement equipment, training equipment, other systems and services to be procured, as well as maintenance will cost EUR 2,9 billion between 2025 and 2030.

Finland will receive the first Lightning IIs in 2026, with all F/A-18 Hornets being replaced between 2028 and 2030.