The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) finally made its UK-debut on 29 June, with the arrival of three short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft at Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in Gloucester.
The jets – two from the US Marine Corps (USMC) and one from the RAF/Royal Navy (RN) – touched down after a trans-Atlantic crossing that was supported by a US Air Force (USAF) McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender aerial refuelling tanker.
These aircraft are in the UK to support the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) taking place at RAF Fairford from 8 to 10 July, and the Farnborough International Airshow running from 11 to 17 July. The US Air Force (USAF) is also expected to showcase two of its conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35As at RIAT, but not at Farnborough. There has been no announcement as to when these two aircraft might make the Atlantic crossing.
While not the first time that the F-35 has flown between the US and Europe – Italian and Dutch F-35As have accomplished that milestone already this year – it does mark the first time that the F-35B has made the crossing, and demonstrates increased resilience and a growing confidence in the international ‘next generation fighter’ programme. This will be especially welcome given the embarrassment of two years ago, when the planned UK debut at RIAT and Farnborough was cancelled just days ahead of time due to an engine fire in the US that grounded the fleet.
The F-35’s appearance at both RIAT and Farnborough will afford the UK defence establishment the opportunity to see for the first time the jet that will furnish its future Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers at sea, and which will replace its Panavia Tornado GR4 strike aircraft on land.
As announced by the government in its Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015, the UK is to receive its full quota of 138 operational F-35Bs, of which the first 10 have so far been contracted.
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