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March 4, 2016 NEWS Thunderbolt
http://www.luke.af.mil
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Hill’s F-35s drop first weapons
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — Airmen from the 388th Courtesy photo
and 419th fighter wings dropped laser-guided bombs at the
Utah Test and Training Range the week of Feb. 25, marking /W&RO*HRUJH:DWNLQVWKHWK)LJKWHU6TXDGURQFRPPDQGHUGURSVD*%8ODVHUJXLGHGERPEIURPDQ
the first time an F-35 Lightning II combat unit has deployed )$/LJKWQLQJ,,)HEDWWKH8WDK7HVWDQG7UDLQLQJ5DQJH7KHWK)6LVWKH$LU)RUFH¶V¿UVWFRPEDWXQLW
weapons from the F-35A. WRHPSOR\PXQLWLRQVIURPWKH)$
Lt. Col. George Watkins, the 34th Fighter Squadron com-
mander, said dropping weapons from the F-35 allows pilots
to more fully engage the aircraft and confirm that everything
works as planned.
“This is significant because we’re building the confidence
of our pilots by actually dropping something off the airplane
instead of simulating weapon employment,” Watkins said.
Air Force F-35s have dropped weapons in test environments,
but this is the first time it’s been done on jets designed to de-
ploy once the Air Force declares initial operational capability,
which it plans to do between August and December. IOC will be
announced when the Air Force deems the F-35 combat capable.
Lt. Col. Darrin Dronoff, the director of Hill’s F-35 Program
Integration Office, said that while this achievement is a
significant step toward Air Force IOC, the milestone goes
beyond that mark.
“The pilots and weapons loaders in the 388th and 419th
fighter wings are perfecting their skills not only to prove
aircraft capabilities, but they’ll also be the Airmen called
upon to take the F-35 to combat, whenever that call may
come,” he said.
Hill’s F-35 pilots will begin flying the F-35 in four-ship
formations, which is the standard configuration flown in
contested combat scenarios, as early as March.
Courtesy of af.mil
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