Lorraine Martin, Lockheed's F-35 program general
manager, said the 2015 deliveries were "a clear
demonstration of our growing maturity and
stability." The performance boost
represents good news for Hill Air Force Base,
which accepted its first two jets in September
and will continue to count on a steady income of
fighters until 2019 to fill three F-35
squadrons.
Base spokesman Rich Essary said it has received
a total five jets so far, with the next one
scheduled to arrive in January. Essary said the
plan is for Hill
AFB
to continue to accept jets at a rate of one or
two each month until they receive their full
allotment of 72. By August 2016, the
base hopes to have 15 jets in place in order to
reach what the Air Force calls "initial
operational capability," which means Hill
AFB
has met the minimum goal to use the jets for
normal operations.
On Dec. 11, Maj. Jayson Rickard, a reservist
with the 466th Fighter Squadron, flew the 100th
F-35 sortie at
Hill
AFB since the first combat
aircraft arrived in September. Of the
45 jets delivered in 2015, the lion's share has
gone to the Air Force, which has received 26
F-35As. The Marine Corps received eight F-35Bs
and the Marines and the Navy each accepted four
F-35Cs, which can take off and land vertically
from aircraft carriers.
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