These F-35 aircraft created in Fort Worth are ready for military action in Australia
Australia has declared that its fleet of F-35s — the stealth fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth — are ready for military action.
The Royal Australian Air Force on Monday pronounced that its fleet of F-35 stealth fighter jets has achieved “initial operational capability,” meaning the planes are ready for service and pilots and mechanics have been trained.
The milestone caps off a year in which Lockheed Martin managed to deliver 123 F-35s to the U.S. and its allies, despite challenges of keeping the assembly plant open during the COVID pandemic.
“Achieving this milestone amid a global pandemic is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team and their commitment to our customers’ missions,” Bill Brotherton, acting vice president and general manager of the F-35 program, said in an email.
Australia’s defense minister, Linda Reynolds, and her staff announced their fleet’s readiness Monday.
Australia has a fleet of 33 F-35As, and crews have exceeded 8,780 flight hours. The planes are flown by 45 pilots and maintained by 600 maintenance workers.
More than 50 Australian companies are taking part in the manufacture of F-35s.
Globally, the F-35 program now includes more than 600 aircraft stationed at 26 bases and ships. More than 1,200 pilots fly the F-35 from the home soil of nine countries.
Lockheed Martin’s parent company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.
The 123rd aircraft built in 2020 is an F-35A with conventional takeoff and landing capability. It was built at a final assembly plant in Cameri, Italy, and delivered to the Italian Air Force.
In 2020, 74 F-35s were delivered to the United States military. Another 31 planes were delivered to international partner nations, and 18 to foreign military customers.
Early in the pandemic, Lockheed Martin worked aggressively to keep production of the F-35s going, although the delivery goal from the year was reduced from 141 F-35s to 117-123 of the aircraft.
Lockheed Martin also accelerated payments to more than 400 of its smaller suppliers in 45 states and Puerto Rico, to ensure those companies could get through the pandemic.
This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 1:00 PM.
