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ABOVE: Sqn Ldr Hugh Nichols climbs aboard an F-35B at MCAS Beaufort. Training will continue
here until No 207 Squadron stands up in 2019 as the OCU. Jamie Hunter
LEF T: Sqn Ldr Hugh Nichols vertically lands in an F-35B during training activities with
VMFAT-501. Jamie HunterThe environment in which we operate
and maintain these aircraft is so important.
We must also have the tools and skills
to support our first operational low-
observable aircraft. Our intent is to hold
the Lightnings at readiness to operate in
the highly contested environment to which
they are best suited. My time in the F-
community taught me that it was possible
to hold two squadrons at high readiness to
go anywhere around the world. Therefore,
it’s important that we understand the low-
observable maintenance demand and
resource it properly. Our F-35s have to be
ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
We will have four F-35 simulators at
Marham, all networked and linked, thereby
offering the full capabilities of the aeroplane.
There are three enormous benefits to using
synthetics such as these in training. It
reduces some of the live flying, making it a
more cost-effective method with which to
deliver training. It makes the live flying more
effective because the pilots have rehearsed
their mission in a synthetic environment.
Plus, there are some mission elements thatwe would only want to execute in a synthetic
environment for security reasons. By 2020,
our intent is to link these facilities into our
new Defence Operational Training Capability
(Air) for a new synthetic warfighting training
environment across all platforms and domains.
These are some of the many factors that are
vitally important to us as we move ahead with
the Lightning Force. We intend to operate
these aircraft in the same manner as the USAF
and the US Marine Corps, from land and sea.
This is an enormous enterprise as we
set the foundations of a 40-year force. F-