Three F-35 "Adir" fighter jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin landed at Nevatim Air Force Base on Thursday. Upon arrival, the IAF will have 39 "Adir" aircraft, including the AS-15 test aircraft stationed at Tel Nof Air Base. The IAF's F-35 fleet recently exceeded 20,000 cumulative flight hours in training, training and operational activity.
The State of Israel was the first in the world to select the F-35 as part of a military sales deal (FMS) with the US government, when it signed the LOA (Letter of Agreement) in October 2010.
New "Adir" aircraft, photo: Lockheed Martin
The Israeli Air Force declared operational capability for the F-35s in December 2017, marking the completion of comprehensive processes for training, training and assimilation of the aircraft and their crews at Nevatim Air Force Base. Since then, the aircraft has been in full operational service and the current procurement process will continue in the coming years until all the aircraft purchased are completed.
As of early July, the 945 F-35s worldwide had logged a cumulative 691,000 flight hours. The F-35s operate from 39 bases and aircraft carriers in nine countries around the world.
New "Adir" aircraft, photo: Lockheed Martin
Over 2,070 pilots and 14,525 maintenance personnel have been trained so far. 12 operators declared the aircraft's initial operational status (IOC). Eight of them declared combat operations.
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