F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets onto Nellis Air Force Base
At least one F-35 jet landed at Nellis Air Force Base on Wednesday, though later than expected, after the Pentagon grounded the fleet of planes in February when one was found to have cracked engine blade.
It is the first of four of the long-awaited stealth jets that Nellis is expected to take delivery on for an arrival ceremony on March 19.
The jet’s landing was posted on the Nellis website Wednesday night.
The multipurpose F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, also known as the Lightning II, is a single-seat fighter designed to replace aging F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt attack jets in the nation’s fleet.
The base is expects to have 36 F-35 jets through 2020.
The single-engine F-35, being flown by test pilots at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., can fly at 1½ times the speed of sound and evade detection with stealth technology that reduces its radar signature.
Advanced electronics allow pilots to detect enemy threats at greater distances and strike targets on the ground and in the air using precision-guided munitions launched from a weapons bay on the belly of the aircraft.
In February, a 0.06-inch crack was discovered in a third-stage turbine blade in a test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Thorough testing concluded exposure to extreme heat and other operational stress on the engine were contributing factors. The fleet of jets was grounded as a precautionary measure.
F-35 operations at Nellis are expected to increase flights by roughly 20 percent and add more than 400 personnel to the base, which employs about 9,000 active-duty military personnel.
The F-35 is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program at a total estimated cost of nearly $400 billion.
Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.
