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First UK F-35 rolled out
The first UK F-35 Lightning II has rolled out of the factory at Fort Worth.
November 22: The first international Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II has rolled out of the company’s factory at Fort Worth in Texas.
The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) will use the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B, known as BK-01, for training and operational tests.
It will undergo functional fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming months.
The jet is scheduled to be delivered in 2012.
“This first F-35 for the first international programme partner is symbolic of the proud partnership we share with the United Kingdom,” said F-35 Executive Vice President and General Manager of Program Integration Tom Burbage.
Group Captain Harvey Smyth, the UK’s Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) national deputy stated: “This is a major milestone in the JSF Programme for the UK and we look forward to starting to operate the first British F-35s next year.”
Despite the UK government switching to the carrier variant F-35C in late 2010,
it was committed to buying the first F-35B, but has managed to agree with the US that subsequent test aircraft will be the bigger ‘C model.
Under British control, BK-01 will be used to help the US Marine Corps development programme for the F-35B.