F-35 Joint Program Office

The weekend is here-You are cleared for takeoff!???

Lightning ?Flash Fact: On this date in 2009, the Marine Corps’ first operational F-35B Lightning II aircraft performed its first short takeoff and vertical landing.?

Looking good ?? At Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, an F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214 arrives and is marshalled in as the air station transitions from the F/A-18 Falcon to F-35s.

Squad goals ?? F-35 Lightning II aircraft from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 502 and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 fly in formation off the coast of San Diego, California, for a Project Legacy flight, demonstrating the squadrons' combined strength.

??: Fueled and Ready for Action ? F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to the Japan Air Self-Defense Forces conduct aerial refueling over Guam airspace during exercise Cope North 2025.

Parking mode, enabled ? An F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing gets marshalled in at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, during exercise Cope North 2025.

Lightning ?Flash Fact: On this date in 2009, Maj. Ty “OD” Bachmann became the first Marine to fly the F-35A Lightning II aircraft

Incoming lightning ? F-35B Lightning II aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214 of Yuma, Arizona, taxi on the flight line after arriving at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Their arrival marked the start of the Marine Corps’ transition from the F/A-18 Hornet to the F-35 for rotational deployments to the region.

??: Enhancing global partnerships ?? F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing deploy to Kadena Air Base, Japan, to enhance regional security and strengthen interoperability with joint and allied forces.

A deterrent, and the perfect wingman ?? ???? Two Israeli Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft fly alongside a U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress during a strategic mission over the eastern Mediterranean Sea.