Thursday, April 18th, 2013
Report from SaintPetersBlog by Peter Schorsch (http://www.saintpetersblog.com/first-marine-f-35b-squadron-operational-in-2015)
First Marine F-35B squadron operational in 2015
Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos said yesterday that the Marine Corps’ first squadron of F-35B Lightning IIs would achieve “initial operational capability” in the summer of 2015 and be ready to deploy by 2017. Service officials have previously resisted giving Congress an “IOC” on F-35, so much so that lawmakers included a mandate in the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act that service leaders come up with one this summer.
Amos ... Read more
Categories: News Report
Thursday, April 11th, 2013

The F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, participated in its first operational training mission over the Nevada Test and Training Range April 4.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Alexander Orchard, 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, crouches underneath the exhaust of an F-35A Lightning II before a training mission April 4, 2013, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The F-35A is assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron and maintained by the 57th AMXS Lightning ... Read more
Categories: News Release, News Report, Photos
Thursday, March 28th, 2013
Article by Kiyoshi Takenaka of Reuters published on March 27, 2013:
Japan’s Military Chief Says F-35 is “Best Fighter”
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s highest-ranking uniformed officer said on Wednesday that Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighters were the best choice for the nation’s future operational needs as Tokyo wrestles with tensions with China and increasingly belligerent North Korea.
The vote of confidence in the state-of-the-art U.S. warplane comes amid reports that some nations that have placed orders for the F-35s are reconsidering their plans.
Shigeru Iwasaki, ... Read more
Categories: News Report
Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
Wednesday, March 27th, 2013