© Lockheed Martin The first two Australian Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets were rolled out of the Lockheed-Martin F-35 facility in For...
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| © Lockheed Martin |
Australian Senator Mathias Cormann, representing the Minister for Defence, Senator David Johnston, and the Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Brown, AO attended the event to mark the milestone.
The aircraft, known as AU-1 and AU-2, are scheduled to undergo functional fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming months.
The jets are scheduled to be delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force later this year, and will be based at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where they will be used for Australian and partner country pilot training.
Initial RAAF pilot training will begin in the United States in early 2015, and from 2018, ferry flights of JSF aircraft to Australia.
Australia has committed to 72 F-35A, to constitute three operational squadrons - two at RAAF Base Williamtown and one at RAAF Base Tindal.
The first F-35 aircraft will arrive in Australia in 2018 and the first squadron, Number 3 Squadron, will be operational in 2021. All 72 aircraft are expected to be fully operational by 2023.
The total capital cost of the procurment is $12.4 billion, including the cost of associated facilities, weapons and training.
Australian aerospace industry will benefit from the offsets in the program, with more than $412 million (USD) already contracted and up to $6 billion (USD) in expected manufacturing orders over the life of the program.
