Nellis-based F-35 fighters debut in simulated combat
The Air Force’s newest fighter jet, the F-35 Lightning II, is taking a star turn in an ongoing air combat training exercise over the Army Combat Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.
The Air Force has used aircraft equipped with F-35 sensors in past exercises, but this will be the first time that more “operationally representative” aircraft take part, Air Combat Command Gen. Herbert Carlisle said Monday after an Air Force Association event.
The Green Flag West exercise, staged in part by Nellis Air Force Base, aims to expose weapons and pilots to more real-world battle scenarios. They are particularly important for fine-tuning coordination between between pilots and troops on the ground who pinpoint air strike targets.
Two F-35s from the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., are participating in the simulated air-to-ground battle, Nellis spokesman Master Sgt. Sanjay Allen said Tuesday. He said the Green Flag West 15-8 exercise began Friday and will run through June 12.
Allen said the F-35s are not dropping weapons in the close air-support exercise administered by the U.S. Air Force Air Warfare Center and Nellis through the 549th Combat Training Squadron.
One or two F-35 A-model jets will participate in the daily exercises along with F-16 fighter planes, A-10 gunships and other weapons, said Lt. Col. Cameron Dadgar, commander of the 549th at Nellis.
“This is the first time that the F-35 will be the primary player in this exercise,” Dadgar told Reuters news service.
The exercise includes about 5,000 U.S. military personnel with land, sea and ground forces facing a generic “near peer” enemy with resources and capabilities comparable to China or Russia, he said.
Lockheed is developing three models of the aircraft for the U.S. military and 11 other nations. U.S. officials say the $391 billion weapons program — the Pentagon’s most expensive — has met or exceeded performance and cost targets since a major restructuring in 2011.
Nellis received its first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter on Jan. 15. It is being used by a cadre of experienced pilots for doctorate-level training to develop and validate the combat tactics playbook for the high-tech fighter.
The F-35A can fly at 1½ times the speed of sound, fire air-to-air missiles, drop GPS and laser-guided bombs, and has a 25 mm cannon. Cameras on the aircraft give pilots a 360-degree view on their helmet visors.
Four F-35 Lightning IIs are currently assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, a tenant squadron at Nellis that is part of the 53rd Wing in Florida. Nellis is expected to have 36 for testing and training by 2020. The U.S. fleet of F-35s has about 100 planes among the Air Force, Navy and Marines.
Contact Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308. Find him on Twitter: @KeithRogers2.
