Australia reaches milestone as it receives its 30th F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter

The 30th F-35A Lightning II JSF of the RAAF. Photo c/o Australian DOD.

Australia reached a milestone in its F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program, as it recently accepted its 30th F-35A 5th generation fighter from American defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is currently replacing its legacy F/A-18A/B Hornet fighters with the F-35A Lightning II, with a total of 72 units ordered under the A$17 billion (US$12 billion) AIR 6000 Phase 2A/B program.

The F-35A Lightning II is believed to be the core of several development changes in the RAAF, and the entire Australian Defence Force (ADF) due to its technological capabilities, including advanced network-centric sensors and communication suite and lethal strike capabilities.

As explained by RAAF F-35A Air Vehicle Lead Squadron Leader Brook Porter, each jet undergoes significant work involving checks at Lockheed Martin's production line in Texas, and several flight tests and in depth pre-acceptance process to make sure each aircraft meets RAAF requirements.

This development came after the RAAF successfully completed Exercise Lightning Storm, wherein several major air assets of the RAAF particularly the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft, F/A-18A Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters, KC-30A aerial refueling tankers and Hawk lead-in fighter trainers combined in operations with the F-35A Lightning II.


[1] Australian Department of Defence
[2] Australian Aviation