Successful First Flight of the Israeli F-35

The first two F-35 'Adir' aircraft will be delivered to the Nevatim Air Base, Israel, in mid-December to begin pilot training operations there

Successful First Flight of the Israeli F-35

The first Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-35A Lightning II aircraft, known as the “Adir,” (meaning “Mighty One” in Hebrew) flew its first Lockheed Martin company check flight from the F-35 production facility here July 25, with F-35 chief test pilot Alan Norman. Known as aircraft AS-1, the jet debuted in a rollout ceremony on June 22, attended by Israel’s Minster of Defense Avigdor Lieberman, Brig. Gen. Tal Kelman, IAF Chief of Staff, and US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, among other distinguished guests.

The first F-35 'Adir' and aircraft AS-2, the IAF’s second F-35, will be delivered to Nevatim Air Base, Israel, in mid-December to begin pilot training operations there. Israel’s program of record is 33 F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing, or CTOL, aircraft, acquired through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Israel’s F-35 will be a significant addition to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East region, with its advanced capability to defeat emerging threats, including advanced missiles and heavily defended airspace.

Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the F-16 Fighting Falcon and A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II for the US Air Force, the F/A-18 Hornet for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV- 8B Harrier for the US Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least 11 other countries. Following the US Marine Corps' July 2015 combat-ready Initial Operational Capability (IOC) declaration, the US Air Force and US Navy intend to attain service IOC this year and in 2018, respectively. More than 170 delivered F-35s have flown more than 65,000 flight hours, fleet-wide.