Lockheed: Eglin to receive first F-35 in ‘days’ - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Lockheed: Eglin to receive first F-35 in ‘days’

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics officials say the company is just days away from delivering its first F-35 Lightning II aircraft to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Company spokesman Mike Rein said Lockheed is “very close” to delivering the first jet, and he believes it will arrive at Eglin by the end of June.

Six F-35 aircraft are scheduled for delivery by the end of the fiscal year, and the base should receive the majority of its 59 ordered aircraft within the next three years, Rein said.

“While we’ll still be delivering aircraft to other bases, Eglin will be the primary focus for the coming years,” Rein said.

The Joint Strike Fighter will be used by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as eight foreign militaries.

Eglin was slated to receive its first F-35 aircraft last November, but delivery was pushed back due to technical challenges and development delays.

Eglin will be a primary training center for F-35 crew and maintenance personnel. In 2009, the Air Force redesignated Eglin’s 33rd Fighter Wing as a training unit and began converting the wing’s facilities into a training center.