The Royal Air Force (RAF) and the UK Royal Navy have taken delivery of three more F-35B Short Takeoff Vertical Landing (STOVL) variants from Lockheed Martin.
The arrival of the American fighters was announced by Group Captain Bill Marr, who serves as Lightning Commander and is responsible for the aircraft and air defense elements at RAF Marham.
A total of 31 fifth-generation fighters have been delivered to the UK, with the latest trio bringing the total number of joint strike fighters available to the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy to 30. HMS Queen Elizabeth during the ship’s first deployment in 2021.
It is also worth noting that three F-35B jets are permanently stationed in the US for testing and pilot training.
Delighted to welcome three of our latest additions to the growing UK lightning force. Thanks to 207 Force for providing. pic.twitter.com/5YAYmXTF7g
— GP Captain Bill Marr (@CdrLightning) November 21, 2022
In RAF service, the F-35 flies alongside the Typhoon, providing the UK with a stealth platform for air-to-surface, electronic warfare, intelligence gathering and air-to-air missions.
The UK currently has 45 jets on order, with a one-year delay due for delivery by 2025. 2025 is the deadline for the nation’s two carrier strike groups to reach full operational capability with fighter aircraft.
Current plans by the UK Ministry of Defense call for the purchase of 26 more fuselages, which would bring the fleet to 74 jets. The contract for this second tranche of flights is still pending.
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