US, UK and Israeli F-35's training together

fang · by **fang** » 26 Jun 2019, 13:14

F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft from the United States, United Kingdom and Israel participated in Exercise Tri-Lightning over the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, June 25, 2019.
https://www.afcent.af.mil/News/article/ ... xrr-HZag8/

Why they didn't invite Italy F-35's to the party?

mixelflick · by **mixelflick** » 26 Jun 2019, 18:15

That's a fair question, but what a milestone event...

The inter-operability at this point in its life cycle is impressive. I wasn't around for the F-16's formative years, but wonder if it was as integrated with NATO/Israel as the F-35 is now?

Whatever the case, these are indeed exciting times...

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 26 Jun 2019, 18:25

Hill’s F-35s Working Closely with Allies [ITALY] During European Deployment
24 Jun 2019 Brian Everstine

"LE BOURGET, France—Although this is the Air Force’s second F-35 deployment to Europe, it’s the first time the fifth-generation fighters have intensely operated with partner nations and regularly forward deployed to new locations.

The airmen and 12 jets from the 421st Fighter Squadron at Hill AFB, Utah, first deployed to Europe in late May as part of a theater security package. Since then, they’ve forward deployed to Italy, Switzerland, Finland, and Norway, and the unit will continue operating from Spangdahlem AB, Germany, through the rest of the summer....

...So far, the aircraft have flown in multiple large-scale exercises, including Exercise Astral Knight in Italy, which marked the first time USAF F-35s have trained with the Italian Air Force. Walz [421st FS pilot Capt. Joseph Walz] served as a mission commander for the exercise. The aircraft flew the same mission set every day, enabling them to work out some kinks on the first day before reaching “overall mission success” most of the rest of the time, he said.

Astral Knight also gave the US and Italy, along with Slovenia and Croatia, a chance to develop a multi-layered defense with command and control out of Aviano AB, Italy. “The fact that Italy was operating their F-35s in synchronization with US F-35s, we actually learn from each other,” USAFE Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Steven Basham said in an interview....

...Flying alongside other F-35s in training, and the recent announcement that the Air Force will stand up an F-35 aggressors squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev., will give pilots better training as potential adversaries improve their aircraft fleets. “As the world changes and fifth generation stealth capability comes online, with our partners and our allies, we need to train to the threat that’s going to be out there,” Walz said."

Source: http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pag ... yment.aspx

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 03 Jul 2019, 10:52

Three nations stage F-35 drills over southern Italy
03 Jul 2019 Tom Kington

"AMENDOLA AIR BASE, Italy – Italian F-35s flew training flights with American and British F-35s over southern Italy on Tuesday, ending a busy few days for joint training by nations flying the stealth fighter. The day kicked off with two Italian aircraft taking off from Amendola Air Base in the heel of Italy alongside two RAF F-35Bs, marking the first joint exercise between the nations.

Despite recent revelations about a series of teething problems experienced by the jet, pilots said they were happy with its performance. “I met the British wing commander yesterday, we talked for ten minutes about a tactical mission that would have been impossible to fly that easily and that quickly with an older jet,” said Maj. Maurizio De Guida, commander of the 13th squadron of Italy’s 32nd Wing. “We took off and within a few minutes we all knew what we were going to target because of the internal data links. The information sharing is so much easier with the F-35,” said RAF 617 Squadron Wing Commander John Butcher....

...The two RAF aircraft were among the six British F-35s which last month took part in a training deployment to the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus before then racking up 14 surveillance sorties over Iraq and Syria. Butcher said that all six aircraft flew in the anti-ISIS missions. “We did armed overwatch of forces on the ground and it went very well. We were able to fully exploit the capabilities of the aircraft,” he said.

Flying in pairs and not accompanied by the Typhoons based at Akrotiri, the British F-35Bs carried their standard AMRAAM and Paveway 4 internal armaments payload and used all their sensor suite, from radar and infrared to electro-optics, during the missions, Butcher said.

Between that deployment and their arrival in Italy, RAF jets stopped off to train with U.S. and Israeli F-35s, and Butcher said he had had no concerns about the UK’s F-35Bs training with A-versions of the aircraft. “Once the wheels are up you are the same air system,” he said.…

...On Tuesday afternoon, four Italian F-35s took off from Amendola to train with four American F-35s arriving from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, where they are temporarily based. The U.S. Air Force jets are part of a 12-strong group of F-35s from the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron based at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, which has already teamed with Italian F-35s for a training exercise June...."

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/global/euro ... ern-italy/

geforcerfx · by **geforcerfx** » 03 Jul 2019, 22:31

what did the RAF do to the top of the B's in the photo? Both of there jets have some black stuff that looks to come from the corner of the lift fan door and runs along the right side of the aircraft to the tail.