After delaying its first buy, Turkey has finally signed up for the purchase of its first two F-35As built by Lockheed Martin.
Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defense Industries was directed to order the first two single-engine, stealthy fighters in the Block 3F configuration on May 6, according to an announcement. Turkey joined the development program in 1999 along with eight other foreign partners. The country also is building its own center fuselages as a contribution to the program.
Ankara also has approved establishment of a final assembly and checkout and depot-level maintenance facility for the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine in country using “Turkish local industry and Turkish air force structure,” according to the defense ministry’s announcement. “Turkey aims to provide service to all F-35 users around the region via these facilities to be established.”
Turkey plans to buy 100 F-35s. These first two aircraft will be included in low-rate initial production (LRIP) lot 10.

Friday, May 9, 2014

F-35 Achieves New Milestones

Woodrow Bellamy III 
[Aviation Today May 9, 2014] Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II fighter jet fleet surpassed 16,000 flight hours and set a new monthly flying record in April, the aerospace and defense manufacturer said. 
 
In April the fleet achieved a new monthly record for System Development and Demonstration (SDD) flights, with 282 total flight hours and 153 flights. The fifth generation fighter aircraft also completed its 700th vertical takeoff and landing sortie in April, and began crosswind landings and expeditionary operations. 
 
"We're nearly complete with Block 2B software flight science testing on the 
F-35As, and we'll move forward with Block 3 software testing this summer. The SDD program is scheduled to complete Block 2B testing for the F-35B 
this year in support of the U.S. Marine Corps' Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2015 with its F-35B fleet," said J.D. McFarlan, Lockheed Martin's 
vice president for F-35 Test & Verification.