21
now begun the process of parting off to
return to the UK to establish sovereign
operations. Air Commodore David
Bradshaw, Lightning Force commander,
commented: “The generation of the
aircraft at VMFAT-501 at Beaufort has
been a massive team effort with US
Marines, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and
contractors. We’ve put in a lot of effort to
ensure the jets and personnel are ready.”
The transit to the UK for the first No 617
Squadron jets used three RAF Voyager
KC2/3 tankers and an Atlas C1. “One
[Voyager] picked the jets up from the eastern
seaboard, took them about a quarter of the
way then handed them off to two more
Voyagers that brought them all the way
across to the UK,” explained Bradshaw.
By August, the complement of F-35Bs with
No 617 Squadron at Marham will have
grown to nine jets, ready to declare IOC by
the end of the year. “For the station, for the
local area, the RAF and the RN, it’s a very
exciting point in the programme as
we are transitioning into a force.”
Project Anvil
The transformation of RAF Marham for the
F-35s is being completed under Project
Anvil. Gp Capt Ann Gibson is the Lightning
Basing Team leader. She said: “The new
[617] squadron site will be ready later on
this year. There’s still quite a bit of work
to do but things are generally on track.”
The first batch of jets will operate
from the north side of the airfield until
the new southern operational areas are
complete. “The Maintenance and Final
Finishing Facility will be up and running
from the beginning of August and the
Lightning Operations Centre was opened
by Her Majesty The Queen in February.
The Integrated Training Centre [ITC] is
well developed and will also be finished
over the summer,” she continued
Air Cdre David Bradshaw added: “Our
intension was never to have everything
ready [now], but good enough to sustain
F-35 operations. Our delivery programme
is over the next six months into next year
to get the facilities online. The north-south
runway was commissioned only last week.”
The building for the Operational
Conversion Unit will be ready for
the squadron’s arrival at Marham in
summer 2019. Deputy Lightning Force
commander Capt Adam Clink said that
No 617 Squadron will move to the south
side once the construction work on the
unit’s facilities have been completed.
“The squadron will operate out of the
refurbished HAS [hardened aircraft shelter]
site or from the environmental shelters.
The OCU will run as a line operation
with clear sight of the operations for
overwatch. As the force grows we will
look at how we develop Marham further
and have more squadrons on site.”ABOVE: Gp Capt Ian ‘Cab’ Townsend is the station commander at RAF Marham. Jamie Hunter
LEF T: Lt Cdr Adam Hogg’s jet rolls down the taxiway at RAF Marham as the rst batch of UK
Lightnings arrive from the US. Jamie HunterWg Cdr John
Butcher (right) and
his executive o cer,
Lt Cdr Adam Hogg.
Jamie Hunter