POTD: F-35A Combat Power Exercise
Just before the turn of the decade, TFB did a very popular article with Norwegian soldiers protecting the F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
You asked for more and as there is a lot of activity at the Hill Air Force Base, Utah, at the moment we see it as an excellent opportunity to show some more pictures.
We don’t have any confirmed figures, but we think there are in the region of 55 F-35A Lightning IIs in these pictures.
Caption:
F-35A Lightning IIs from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings on the ramp during an F-35A Combat Power Exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Jan. 6, 2020.
The exercise, which was planned for months, demonstrated their ability to employ a large force of F-35As — testing readiness in the areas of personnel accountability, aircraft generation, ground operations, flight operations, and combat capability against air and ground targets.
A little more than four years after receiving their first combat-coded F35A Lightning II aircraft, Hill’s fighter wings have achieved full warfighting capability.
Photos below by U.S. Air Force, by R. Nial Bradshaw.
An F-35A Lightning II from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings takes off during an F-35A Combat Power Exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Jan. 6, 2020.
All of the pictures below are by U.S. Air Force photo, Todd Cromar.
All photos: U.S. Air Force photo by Todd Cromar and R. Nial Bradshaw.
Ex-Arctic Ranger. Competitive practical shooter and hunter with a European focus. Always ready to increase my collection of modern semi-automatics, optics, thermals and suppressors. TCCC Certified. Occasionaly seen in a 6x6 Bug Out Vehicle, always with a big smile.
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Neatly parked in the Navy's "Pearl Harbor" formation.
Before reading further I counted 50-ish before my eyes got wonky. Heck Boys make mine a Sopwith Camel.