Luke Air Force Base, Arizona – The first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing was officially delivered during a ceremony attended by dignitaries and hundreds of local civic leaders, wing military, and civilian members. Undersecretary of the Air Force, Eric Fanning, delivered the keynote speech to more than 600 people at the F-35 arrival ceremony at Luke Air Force Base on March 14, 2014. The F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing variant, known as LF 5030, is the first of 144 F-35As scheduled for delivery to the base.
"The F-35 Lightning II represents the future of tactical aviation for the United States and our allies," said U.S. Air Force Gen. Robin Rand, Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. "This program is built on a foundation of unprecedented international partnership that is embodied at the integrated training center at Luke AFB. Together, we will train the next generation of pilots who will protect freedom at home and abroad."
The welcoming ceremony marked the delivery of the 35th F-35 to the Air Force and the stand-up of the eighth F-35 base. In 2015, Luke AFB will begin training U.S. Air Force pilots and eventually international pilots destined for deployment to combat units around the world. Luke AFB is the second base flying F-35s in Arizona after the stand-up of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, in 2012.
Source: Lockheed Martin