An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | April 23, 2010

Air Force F-35 completes first test flight

By Spc. Thao Pha and Spc. Stacey Mosher Minnesota National Guard

WASHINGTON - The Air Force version of the F-35A flew for an hour April 20 from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, becoming the seventh F-35 Lightning II to fly.

AF-2, the conventional takeoff and landing aircraft, is the Air Force's version of the Joint Strike Fighter. This fifth-generation fighter is the first one to carry an internal GAU-22/A 25-millimeter Gatling gun weapon system.

"The first flight of AF-2 is a significant achievement for the F-35 program, the U.S. Air Force and our international partners who will operate the F-35A," said James "Sandy" Sandstrom, Lockheed Martin's F-35 U.S. Air Force program manager. "This aircraft is configured to test and verify the multiple weapons loads that will deliver fifth generation combat capability to the warfighter.

 

 

Related Articles
Lt. Gen. Jon Stubbs, the 23rd director of the Army National Guard, and his wife, Jane, attend retired Lt. Gen. Herbert Temple's funeral in Cathedral City, Calif., Jan. 24, 2025. Stubbs gave a eulogy to friends and family of Temple at his memorial service.
National Guard Leaders Bid Farewell to Former Chief
By Sgt. 1st Class Daisy Broker, | Feb. 11, 2025
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - Retired Army Lt. Gen. Herbert R. Temple Jr. , former chief of the National Guard Bureau, was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery Jan. 24 during a ceremony befitting his long and faithful service to...

U.S. Air Force Capt. Steven Thompson, left, and Tech. Sgt. Carlos Patino, assigned to Detachment 1, Medical Group, 193rd Special Operations Wing, Pennsylvania National Guard, perform lifesaving techniques on simulated patients during a mass casualty exercise at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Feb. 7, 2025. These Airmen completed an inaugural two-week training program, which is a new partnership between the National Guard and MSHMC, where participants learn how to respond effectively in emergencies and combat situations.
Pennsylvania Guardsmen Graduate New Hospital Partnership Program
By Maj. Travis Mueller, | Feb. 11, 2025
HERSHEY, Pa. – Three Airmen with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 193rd Special Operations Wing are the inaugural graduates of a new program and partnership between Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and the...

Tank commander Sgt. 1st Class Eric Gilliland, of 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, communicates with driver Sgt. Maxwell Rounds from Castle Rock, Wash., as they maneuver their M1A2 SEP v2 Abrams tank onto the new six-mile tank trail at Raymond F. Rees Training Center in Umatilla, Oregon, Feb. 1, 2025. The new trail enables local National Guard tank crews to conduct essential driver training without traveling to out-of-state facilities.
Oregon National Guard Opens Its First Off-Road Tank Trail
By Maj. Wayne Clyne, | Feb. 10, 2025
UMATILLA, Ore. - The Oregon Army National Guard has unveiled a new six-mile tank driver training course at Raymond F. Rees Training Center, marking a significant upgrade in armor units’ training capabilities in Eastern...