USAF to Reactivate 495th Fighter Squadron as F-35 Unit

[spazsinbad]

USAF to Reactivate 495th Fighter Squadron as F-35 Unit
15 Sep 2020 Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

"The Air Force will reactivate its 495th Fighter Squadron to support the F-35 mission at RAF Lakenheath, U.K., 48th Fighter Wing spokesperson Maj. Sybil V. Taunton confirmed to Air Force Magazine via email Sept. 15.

“Overall we will see a plus-up of roughly 1,200 personnel to operate and support two full squadrons of F-35s,” she wrote, noting that the base’s first Joint Strike Fighters are still slated to reach the base late next year.

The 48th Fighter Wing has held off on a formal public announcement about the squadron’s reactivation because it’s on an ongoing search for a squadron mascot, she said. However, she noted, the wing is open to proposals from the aviation-loving public...."

Source: https://www.airforcemag.com/usaf-to-rea ... f-35-unit/

[Corsair1963]

Interesting............


The Air Force’s First Overseas-Based F-35A Unit Is Revealed And Now It Needs A Name

RAF Lakenheath’s “Liberty Wing” wants you to help name its latest squadron.


QUOTE:

Eventually, the 48th Fighter Wing will host two squadrons of F-35As — a total of 48 aircraft — at Lakenheath. It is likely that the declaration of operational capability for the 495th will lead to the departure of the F-15C/Ds of the 493rd FS from Lakenheath, and that unit will then become the second F-35A unit at the base.


https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/3 ... ykd9enoCHw

[dragracingmaniac]

Call 'em the LaserSharks

[jetblast16]

The "Phantoms" of Liberty

[Corsair1963]

As for a name why not "The Eagle Squadron". Which, would show homage to both the Brits and Americans that fought side by side against Nazi Germany in the early stages of WWII.


Especially, considering the 495th will be based at Lakenheath in the UK.

[spazsinbad]

U.S. Air Force names first overseas-based F-35A Squadron [VALKYRIES! why be so coy burying the LEAD!]
16 Feb 2021 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

"ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- The 48th Fighter Wing selected a new nickname for the first U.S. Air Force overseas-based F-35A squadron. The wing solicited help from the public to name the unit. 700 different suggestions were originally submitted in the fall of 2020, and narrowed down to five finalists. In December, thousands of votes were cast in opinion polls, and the Liberty Wing collectively decided that the 495th Fighter Squadron will be called the “Valkyries,” besting four other choices – Archangels, Sabres, Sentinels, and Swordsmen.

In Norse mythology, Valkyries are female figures who choose those that will live, or die, in battle. RAF Lakenheath is in the East of England, an area with extensive Viking and Norse history. Additionally, the 495th Fighter Squadron motto: “Mala Ipsa Nova” in Latin, means “Bad News Itself.” Both factors, emphasize “Valkyries” as an extremely suitable nickname for the U.K.-based unit.

“‘Valkyries’ epitomizes the force’s move toward more inclusivity and equally represents the fifth-generation stealth fighter’s air superiority,” said Lt. Col. Ian McLaughlin, the incoming 495 FS commander. “I am honored to be the first commander of the initial U.S. Air Force overseas-based F-35A unit. Like the Valkyries themselves, they’ll be vital to determining the fate of our adversaries in the battlefield.” The first F-35As are scheduled to arrive at RAF Lakenheath in late 2021...."

Source: https://www.lakenheath.af.mil/News/Arti ... Cii-6Oji8/

[Corsair1963]

Now the question is will the 493rd FS (F-15C) convert to the F-15EX or F-35A?

[spazsinbad]

I guess this OLD patch will be updated? Went looking..... https://www.scramble.nl/images/news/202 ... 95_TFS.jpg

[doge]

F-111's
https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/val ... n-1.662371

'Valkyries' is the new nickname for the Air Force's England-bound F-35 squadron
By KYLE ALVAREZ | STARS AND STRIPES Published: February 16, 2021
RAF LAKENHEATH, England — The Air Force’s first overseas-based F-35A squadron will be nicknamed the “Valkyries,” for the mythological Norse women who chose who would live or die in battle, the 48th Fighter Wing said Tuesday.
“’Valkyries’ epitomizes the force’s move toward more inclusivity and equally represents the fifth-generation stealth fighter’s air superiority,” said Lt. Col. Ian McLaughlin, the incoming commander of the the 495th Fighter Squadron, which is expected to arrive at Lakenheath later this year.

“I am honored to be the first commander of the initial U.S. Air Force overseas-based F-35A unit. Like the Valkyries themselves, they’ll be vital to determine the fate of our adversaries in the battlefield,” he said.
The formidable Norse women who are often pictured wearing winged headdresses were the subject of German composer Richard Wagner’s “Flight of the Valkyries,” which was part of the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War film, “Apocalypse Now.”

The name, which literally means “chooser of the fallen or slain,” beat out 700 other suggested monikers in a selection process that began last fall and asked the public to help choose a winner.
Valkyries was one of just five names that were still in the running in December, together with Archangels, Sabres, Sentinels and Swordsmen.

Possible influences on the choice of Valkyries over the other four include that RAF Lakenheath is in a part of England that’s steeped in Norse and Viking history, and that F-35A pilots are said to have the power to control the skies.
The nickname given to the 495th Fighter Squadron’s predecessor, the 495th Tactical Fighter squadron, which flew F-111 Aardvarks out of Lakenheath during the Cold War, was ruled out for the new unit.

They were known as the “Thundervarks,” a name that “doesn’t really have the same stick” for a squadron of fifth-generation F-35s, 48th Fighter Wing spokesman Master Sgt. Matthew Plew told Stars and Stripes in September.
The Valkyries will have about 24 aircraft and 50 personnel, with another 600 or so associated with its aircraft maintenance unit, base officials said. Lakenheath is expected to eventually host two F-35 squadrons.

[Fox1]

That will be an interesting pairing, having a couple of F-35 squadrons and a couple of F-15E Strike Eagle squadrons operating under the same wing. It almost makes me wish Lakenheath gets the F-15EX to replace the E models just to increase the level of badassery. Imagine a unit with 48 F-35s and 48 advanced Eagles operating together. That is more capability at a single base than many countries can muster with their entire air force!

[Corsair1963]

That will be an interesting pairing, having a couple of F-35 squadrons and a couple of F-15E Strike Eagle squadrons operating under the same wing. It almost makes me wish Lakenheath gets the F-15EX to replace the E models just to increase the level of badassery. Imagine a unit with 48 F-35s and 48 advanced Eagles operating together. That is more capability at a single base than many countries can muster with their entire air force!

Why not just have 96 F-35A's. Which, would be far more capable and even cheaper long-term....

[Fox1]

That will be an interesting pairing, having a couple of F-35 squadrons and a couple of F-15E Strike Eagle squadrons operating under the same wing. It almost makes me wish Lakenheath gets the F-15EX to replace the E models just to increase the level of badassery. Imagine a unit with 48 F-35s and 48 advanced Eagles operating together. That is more capability at a single base than many countries can muster with their entire air force!

Why not just have 96 F-35A's. Which, would be far more capable and even cheaper long-term....

There's plenty of room for both. I think the two compliment each other quite well. Any particular area that might be considered a weakness for one of the two types is largely covered by the other one. Being able to work closely together actually makes each of the two aircraft types more lethal, more versatile. The F-35 is a lethal, high awareness, stealthy QB. It is methodical, highly cerebral, very calculating. The F-15 is a pissed off blue collar 250 pound fullback just looking to plow through someone for fun. They are very different types of players, but they both have a critical role in the offense. I wouldn't build a football team with nothing but quarterbacks, nor would I build an air force with only one type of combat aircraft. This isn't an either/or thing here. We can have both.

[ricnunes]

There's plenty of room for both. I think the two compliment each other quite well. Any particular area that might be considered a weakness for one of the two types is largely covered by the other one.

There's nothing that the F-15EX can do better than the F-35A in order for the former to be a complement to the later.

Make no mistake, the only reason why the F-15EX is being procured is politics or more precisely to keep Boeing's fighter aircraft production line open!

Being able to work closely together actually makes each of the two aircraft types more lethal, more versatile. The F-35 is a lethal, high awareness, stealthy QB. It is methodical, highly cerebral, very calculating. The F-15 is a pissed off blue collar 250 pound fullback just looking to plow through someone for fun. They are very different types of players, but they both have a critical role in the offense. I wouldn't build a football team with nothing but quarterbacks, nor would I build an air force with only one type of combat aircraft. This isn't an either/or thing here. We can have both.

I disagree with your analogy above. In the real world there's far more 'blue color' workers than 'white color' ones while with the F-35 vs F-15EX case there are and there will be far more 'white color' F-35s than 'blue color' F-15EX. On top of this the 'blue color' (F-15EX) is far more limited and basically doesn't do anything better than 'white color' (F-35) which simply makes the 'blue color'/F-15EX redundant and more expensive than having only 'white color'/F-35s.

[hornetfinn]

I could see a point for F-15EX if it was also stealth aircraft to work alongside F-35 in contested airspace or if it was significantly cheaper to buy and operate (to work outside contested airspace). It's really neither and it also doesn't have huge advantage in payload/range department either. F-15 might be able to carry some larger weapons, but then again there are B-1B, B-2, B-52 and even B-21 to carry those around the world. B-2 and B-21 can even do so in highly contested airspace.

[mixelflick]

I think we should be accelerating the F35 buy, but can also understand not wanting to overly rely on one aircraft (cough, Navy/Super Hornet, cough). What IF for example the Chinese figure out a way to fry/jam the F-35's electronics? Or they capture/otherwise procure an example? Not only will that have implications for the US, but all of our allies that fly the F-35.

The way its being sold, it isnt' as far fetched as many would think. Iranian Tomcats come to mind, and for many years the Navy scrambled to ensure its own F-14's/Phoenix missiles had an edge in the event of F-14 on F-14 violence, LOL. What wasn't funny however, was the kind of $ the Navy must have spent doing so. Hell, 40 years later we're still going to great lengths to make sure no F-14 parts wind up in Iran.

So I can see both sides of the arguement. I just hope any cuts to the F-35 aren't too deep, because sadly I think that's really going to happen. The anti-F35 lobby was handed much ammunition when the F-15EX buy went through, and recent comments about a "5th gen minus" F-16 replacement have only made things worse..

When the final chapter of the F-35 is written however, I'm betting it surpasses the F-16 in both sales and performance. No small feat..