Joint Strike Fighters Will Begin Arriving At Eglin Next Year

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program remains focused on preparations for opening the Integrated Training Center at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida panhandle in 2010.  The facility will train F-35 pilots and maintainers worldwide.

"The Eglin Integrated Training Center will turn out pilots and maintainers who are fully mission qualified," said Eric Branyan, Lockheed Martin vice president and F-35 deputy program manager. "The center features a full mission simulator that will be networked to other trainers on site, enabling formation flying and virtual war gaming." Branyan spoke at the 2009 Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition in Washington, D.C.

During the exposition, Branyan and Joint Strike Fighter Deputy Program Executive Officer Maj. Gen. C.D. Moore provided a general F-35 program update, with a focus on preparations for standing up the training center at Eglin AFB. F-35 deliveries to Eglin AFB begin in 2010, with initial operational capability (IOC) scheduled for the U.S. Marines in 2012, the U.S. Air Force in 2013 and the U.S. Navy in 2015.

"While 2009 proved to be a year of firsts for F-35, 2010 is shaping up to be an exciting year as flight test kicks into high gear, aircraft are fielded at Eglin to start the integrated training program and our first production aircraft are delivered," Gen. Moore said. "Meeting these near term milestones gives us greater confidence in our ability to deliver the tremendous capabilities of the F-35 to the warfighter on the planned IOC schedule."

Branyan extolled the capabilities of the integrated training center at Eglin, noting, "Technology is integral to the training center and allows pilots and trainers to receive hands-on interaction. F-35 pilots will have the use of portable laptop trainers that they can check out and take home. The trainers include a stick and throttle and helmet-display glasses, along with a realistic F-35 panoramic cockpit display, voice command and Internet connectivity for multi-ship formations."

For maintainers, computer-based courses will be available, along with desktop computers teaching fundamental maintenance and laptop computers loaded with technical data that can be transported to the flight line.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations, and lower operational and support costs. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

FMI: www.af.mil, www.lockheedmartin.com