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F-35A (Page 2)

Latest in F-35A

Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs, assigned to the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team, fly in formation prior to conducting air-to-air refueling over Utah, July 1, 2025. The F-35A Lightning II is the Air Force’s most advanced multirole fighter, capable of conducting both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
F-35A

Time Is Running Out For Canada’s Fighter Decision

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 8, 2025

Authorities in Poland say they have assessed that the incursions were not accidental. Polish and Dutch fighters shot down several of the intruding uncrewed aircraft.
F-35A

After Unprecedented Night Of Downing Drones Over Poland, NATO Reports No Posture Changes (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 10, 2025

Ice buildup in the landing gear of a U.S. Air Force F-35A was the root cause of a crash at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska in January, according to a recently released report on the mishap.
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Dramatic F-35 Crash At Alaskan Air Base Caused By Iced-Up Landing Gear

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 26, 2025

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Thomas Clewell, 495th Fighter Generation Squadron crew chief, marshals an F-35A Lightning II aircraft at RAF Lakenheath, England, Nov. 19, 2024. The 495th FGS is essential to generating daily sorties, enabling pilots to train and maintain readiness to respond quickly and effectively when called upon.
F-35A

Major Indications Nuclear Bombs Are Back At USAF Air Base In England

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jul 21, 2025

Plans To Finally Give F-35 External Fuel Tanks Emerge In New Air Force Budget (Updated)
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Plans To Finally Give F-35 External Fuel Tanks Emerge In New Air Force Budget (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 30, 2025

U.K. Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning.
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Royal Air Force Goes Nuclear With F-35A

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 25, 2025

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, refuels a U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft during exercise RAMSTEIN FLAG 2024 while flying over the coast of Greece, Oct. 4, 2024. RAFL24 demonstrates NATO unity and strength, as Allies across the Euro-Atlantic area train side by side in defensive and offensive air operations scenarios in support of the enduring commitment to shared values and ability to adapt to the emerging environment.
F-35A

U.S. Air Force Fighters Deploy To Reinforce Middle East

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 17, 2025

Germany plans to buy Joint Strike Missile (JSM) cruise missiles from Norway, to arm its forthcoming fleet of F-35A stealth fighters. While these jets were primarily chosen as launch platforms for U.S.-owned nuclear gravity bombs, under a long-standing NATO agreement, Germany is increasingly viewing the F-35A as part of an expanding conventional long-range strike arsenal.
F-35A

German F-35s Will Be Armed With Stealthy Joint Strike Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 5, 2025

The first two American F-35A Lightning II fighter jets land in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, on May 23, 2016. The F-35 program is an international effort where the United States works with eight other partner nations, including the Netherlands, to design and develop the F-35.
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Dutch F-35s Provide Targeting For Rocket Artillery

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 11, 2025

Very Close Encounter Between F-35 And Su-35 Caught On Cockpit Camera
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Very Close Encounter Between F-35 And Su-35 Caught On Cockpit Camera

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 4, 2025

F-35 Hill AFB
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F-35s From Hill AFB Arrive In England

By Howard Altman

Updated on Mar 20, 2025

Israel has confirmed that its F-35 stealth fighters have flown airstrikes using external ordnance. The F-35’s so-called ‘beast mode,’ featuring heavier loads on underwing pylons, is well known by now, but as far as is known, has not been called upon operationally by any other countries. Meanwhile, Israel’s unique F-35I fleet — locally known as the “Adir” (Hebrew for mighty) — which features various local modifications, has frequently been at the forefront of demonstrating new capabilities.
F-35A

Israeli F-35s First To Use ‘Beast Mode’ In Combat

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 17, 2025

Meteor Missile F-35B testing
F-35A

F-35B Has Flown With Meteor Long-Range Air-To-Air Missile

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 28, 2025

U.S. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, the top American military officer overseeing operations in and around North America, has said he would welcome Canadian participation in expanding continental missile defense efforts, including in space.
F-35A

Canada Joining Iron Dome Missile Defense Plan Would Be Welcome: NORAD Boss

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 14, 2025

Three nozzle binding mishaps on KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tankers have cost the AIr Force nearly $23 million
F-35A

Tankers Flood Airspace Off The California Coast For China-Focused Air Combat Exercise

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 11, 2025

Russian and American fighter jets join India's biggest air show The Aero India 2025 for the first time in New Delhi, India on February 10, 2025. For the first time in history, the air show is witnessing "the participation of two of the world's most advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft - the Russian Su-57 and the American F-35 Lightning II," the Indian Defense Ministry said.
F-35A

F-35 And Su-57 Face Off In India

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 10, 2025

Maj. Garret Dover prepares to taxi in an F-35A of the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, a tenant unit at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., takes off on a test flight at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, Feb 17, 2016. Six operational test and evaluation F-35s and more than 85 Airmen of the 31st TES travelled to Mountain Home AFB to conduct the first simulated deployment test of the F-35A, specifically to execute three key initial operational capability mission sets: suppression of enemy air defenses, close air support and air interdiction.
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Escalating Trade War Raises Questions Over Canada’s F-35 Future

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 3, 2025

F-35 Alaska
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F-35 Caught On Video Tumbling Vertically Into The Runway At Alaskan Air Base

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jan 29, 2025

NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) has confirmed to TWZ that four Dutch F-35A stealth fighters are now also participating in Baltic Sentry, a mission intended, among other things, to ensure the security of critical undersea infrastructure in the region. The jets were already in the region as part of the alliance’s Baltic Air Policing mission.
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F-35s Now Helping Prevent Baltic Seafloor Cable Sabotage

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Updated on Jan 22, 2025

Norwegian F-35s are in Poznań, Poland, as part of Norway's contribution to NATO's integrated air and missile defense.
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Norwegian F-35s Scrambled In Poland During Russian Missile Strikes On Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 15, 2025

Substantial differences in the designs of the B and C variants of the F-35 mean that they each require variant-specific 25mm gun pods.
F-35A

F-35B And F-35C Use Different 25mm Gun Pods Unique To Each Variant

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 20, 2024

The Pentagon says more tests are required to verify that the 25mm automatic cannon mounted internally on the F-35A variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is indeed now an effective weapon.
F-35A

F-35A’s 25mm Gun Still Needs Tests To Verify It Works

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 4, 2024

The Royal Australian Air Force, or RAAF has experimented with a new rapidly laid temporary surface, making it easier to conduct expeditionary aircraft operations, something that is of increasing relevance across the Indo-Pacific region. The trial, which used a temporary surface known as Dura-Base, involved an RAAF F-35A stealth fighter at RAAF Base Tindal, in Australia’s Northern Territory.
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Australian F-35 Tests Expeditionary Base Concept

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 27, 2024

Poland has taken the next step in the modernization of its air force, with U.S. approval given for a major upgrade of its fleet of F-16 fighters. The program will bring the jets to the F-16V standard and also suggests new weapons may be introduced, too. The Viper Midlife Upgrade is announced as Poland awaits F-35 stealth fighters and considers buying F-15EX multirole fighters, while making significant investments in its armed forces across the board, to meet the threat from Russia.
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Poland’s F-16s Cleared For Major Upgrades

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 24, 2024

KC-707 IAF remote vision system
F-35A

Israeli 707 Tanker’s Secretive Remote Vision System Revealed In Long-Range Yemen Raid

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Sep 30, 2024

After almost 45 years of service, including multiple combat deployments, the F-16 was formally retired today by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). At the same time, the service announced that the F-35A had attained full operational capability, with the stealth fighter now responsible for the full spectrum of missions previously handled by the Viper, including nuclear strike.
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The Last Viper Commander: Dutch Squadron Boss On Today’s Retirement Of The F-16

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Sep 27, 2024

Poland’s first F-35A stealth fighter — locally named Husarz, or hussar — was officially rolled out today in a glitzy ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas plant.
F-35A

Poland’s First F-35A “Hussar” Stealth Fighter Rolled Out

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 28, 2024

Greece has made good on its promise to buy F-35 stealth fighters, confirming today that it will buy an initial batch of 20 of the aircraft at a cost of around $3.5 billion. The decision is an important step in the modernization of the Hellenic Air Force, which has recently inducted other new combat aircraft types, while plans to retire older jets have also been unveiled. The move also has a particular resonance in terms of Greece’s tense relations with regional rival Turkey, which was booted out of the F-35 program, after buying Russian-made S-400 air defense systems.
F-35A

Greece Buying F-35s Widens Qualitative Gap With Turkey

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jul 26, 2024

The Pentagon has made a new announcement about the first forward-deployments of Air Force F-35As and F-15EXs to Japan, as well as changes to the Marine Corps' F-35B force in that country.
F-35A

USAF F-35As To Be Based In Japan Replacing Wild Weasel F-16s

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jul 3, 2024

A U.S. B-2A Spirit bomber assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing and a Royal Netherlands air force F-35A conduct aerial operations in support of Bomber Task Force Europe 20-2 over the North Sea March 18, 2020. Bomber missions provide opportunities to train and work with NATO allies and theater partners in combined and joint operations and exercises.
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Dutch F-35s Take On A Full Nuclear Role

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 31, 2024

F-35 has gotten its name from Poland.
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Poland’s Future F-35s Have Been Officially Named “Husarz”

By Oliver Parken

Updated on Apr 30, 2024

The F-35 Joint Program Office says the internal gun on the A variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is now effective after years of accuracy and other problems.
F-35A

F-35A’s Beleaguered 25mm Cannon Is Finally “Effective”

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 22, 2024

F-35 drops B61-12 during a test at Edwards AFB
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F-35A Is Officially Certified For Nuclear Strike

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 9, 2024

Singapore Adds F-35As To Expand Its Stealth Fighter Fleet
F-35A

Singapore Adds F-35As To Expand Its Stealth Fighter Fleet

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 28, 2024

The US Navy and Air Force have both recently laid out requirements for new compact cruise missiles, including an anti-ship type that could be carried internally on certain F-35 variants.
F-35A

Mini Anti-Ship Cruise Missile That Fits Inside An F-35 Is On The Navy’s Wish List

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 7, 2024

Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Heritage Flight Team pilot and commander performs a vertical climb in an F-35A Lightning II during the Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show Oct. 14, 2018, in Fort Worth, Texas. The F-35A Lightning II’s F-135 single-engine contains 43,000 pounds of thrust. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook)
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Czech Republic Officially Joins The F-35 Fighter Program

By Oliver Parken

Posted on Jan 29, 2024

The F-35 Joint Program Office is oversee a project to create a single operational "Franken-bird" from two seriously damaged F-35A Joint Strike Fighters.
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F-35 “Franken-Bird” Being Made From Two Badly Damaged Jets

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 1, 2023

F-35 drops B61-12 during a test at Edwards AFB
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Dutch F-35s Gain Nuclear Strike Mission “Initial Certification”

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 10, 2023

The U.S. Air Force Only Has One Upgraded Ejection Seat for its F-35A Fleet
F-35A

The U.S. Air Force Only Has One Upgraded Ejection Seat for its F-35A Fleet

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jun 29, 2019

F-35As Headed To Asia For First Operational Deployment Amid North Korean Tensions
F-35A

F-35As Headed To Asia For First Operational Deployment Amid North Korean Tensions

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Oct 24, 2017

Now That The F-35A Is Also Having Oxygen Issues A Solution Is More Likely
F-35A

Now That The F-35A Is Also Having Oxygen Issues A Solution Is More Likely

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Jun 13, 2017

USAF Operationally Deploying F-35A To Europe This Weekend For The First Time
F-35A

USAF Operationally Deploying F-35A To Europe This Weekend For The First Time

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 14, 2017

Let’s Talk About Those F-35 Kill Ratio Reports From Red Flag
F-35A

Let’s Talk About Those F-35 Kill Ratio Reports From Red Flag

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Feb 9, 2017

The Latest F-35 Grounding Isn’t That Big a Deal
F-35A

The Latest F-35 Grounding Isn’t That Big a Deal

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 18, 2016

Scathing Reports On Both The F-35 Program And The A-10 Divestment Plan
F-35A

Scathing Reports On Both The F-35 Program And The A-10 Divestment Plan

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Aug 30, 2016

The USAF Declares Initial Operating Capability For The F-35A, But it Still Has a Long Way to Go
F-35A

The USAF Declares Initial Operating Capability For The F-35A, But it Still Has a Long Way to Go

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Aug 4, 2016