An air base in the United Kingdom, the Royal Air Force Lakenheath, has just received a delivery of the F-35A Lightning II. Although based abroad, the fighter jets will be in service with the US Air Force and piloted by US pilots. They are the first F-35s to be permanently stationed in Europe.

General Jeff Harrigian, commander of the US air forces in Europe and Africa, said in a press release that “coalition forces train and fight in the most dynamic theater, requiring the most advanced platforms. . The Valkyries are leading our integration of the F-35s across Europe. We’ve come a long way, and now we’re expanding our reach as a coalition force and what we’re going to accomplish together.

The US Air Force chose the location of Royal Air Force Lakenheath in 2015, citing the very close ties between the US Air Force and the Royal Air Force, as well as the training facilities at Lakenheath and the possibility of improving interoperability between the air branches of the two countries.

The Air Force statement explains that “the F-35A is an agile, versatile, high performance, 9g capable multirole fighter that combines stealth, sensor fusion and unprecedented situational awareness.”

In addition, the F-35A “will belong to the 495th Fighter Squadron, which was dubbed the” Valkyries “in a voting contest in 2020. The new F-35 squadron will consist of 24 planes, delivered in a phased approach. “.

Valkyries embodies the force’s movement towards more inclusiveness and also represents the air superiority of the fifth generation stealth fighter, ”said Lt. Col. Ian McLaughlin, commanding officer of the 495th Fighter Squadron in the Air Force statement. “Like the Valkyries themselves, we will be essential in determining the fate of our opponents in the battlespace.”

Takeover of the world

The F-35 jets slowly make their way around the continent. In addition to the UK’s Royal Air Force, variants of the F-35 are also in service with Norway, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Belgium and Finland. Switzerland could soon put the F-35 into service, despite the decline of local peace groups.

Many other countries outside of Europe also use variants of the F-35, including Australia and Japan. Canada, Singapore and South Korea have also considered acquiring F-35s.

While the F-35 platform is arguably the most successful 5th generation stealth fighter to date, the fighter is not a panacea. One of the drawbacks cited by critics is the hunter’s combat radius as an issue. To remedy the problem, the Pentagon is exploring an improved engine option for the F-35 jet, and Pratt & Whitney and General Electric are developing improved engines for the fighter.

Caleb Larson is a multimedia journalist and defense writer with the National interest. A graduate of UCLA, he also holds a Master of Public Policy and lives in Berlin. It covers the intersection of conflict, security, and technology, focusing on US foreign policy, European security, and German society for print and radio. Follow him on Twitter @calebmlarson

Image: Reuters