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uses the DAS – a set of infrared cameras to
help the pilot visually monitor the outside
environment – and it relies on advanced data
networks such as the Multifunction Advanced
Data Link (MADL) to talk to its wingmen and
maintain a high level of situational awareness.
Lt Col Eric ‘Emmitt’ Smith was the director
of operations at the 58th FS during the early
F-35 years and the USAF’s first squadron F-35
pilot. He described beginning the process of
converting to the new aircraft and selecting
the initial cadre of instructor pilots. “Back
in 2008, a selection board was held. Anyone
who met the requirements could submit a
package to AETC. The minimum requirements
were 1,000 hours of flight time, being an
instructor pilot in a fighter, a Weapons School
graduate was desired, but not required, and
they wanted previous radar experience,
which means flying a jet like an F-16 with
a radar installed as opposed to an A-10.
“In the spring of 2009, they selected ten
initial cadre instructors, in addition to five
alternates from the list.” He continued:
“Eglin ended up taking the initial ten,plus three of the alternates to bring here
to stand up the new mission. Another
[selection] was requested in January 2010,
to choose another round of guys with
similar experience. This time, however,
they were looking for a [slightly] younger
group of pilots than selected the first time.”
The first of 24 F-35As for the ‘Gorillas’
arrived at Eglin on July 14, 2011, with Lt Col
Smith at the controls. “It’s a fairly simple
airplane to fly. It does a lot of things for the
pilot that in previous jets he had to do himself.
The radar mechanisation and avionics are
very pilot friendly. Instead of the 30 to 40
switches in a ‘legacy’ fighter cockpit, the
F-35 has maybe ten. Most of the stuff is done
in the panoramic cockpit displays, which
are essentially two touch-screen computers.
The pilot manipulates all of his avionics
and controls using these screens and the
switches on the control stick and throttle.
“Performance-wise, the jet flies very
much like an F-16. Its top speed is 1.6
Mach, exactly like the F-16. It [will
be] a 9g jet, just like the F-16. TheABOVE: Senior USAF F-35 pilots say that
the F-35A will be able to win air-to-air
engagements comfortably in beyond-visual-
range scenarios and that modern helmet sights
and agile missiles mitigate the need to be
extremely agile in the close fight. Jamie Hunter
BELOW: The 58th FS participated in 2017’s
Exercise Atlantic Trident alongside F-22s,
British Eurofighter Typhoons and French
Dassault Rafales. Jamie Hunter
BELOW RIGHT: An F-35A of the 58th
FS touches down at
Eglin AFB. Jamie
Hunter
F-35 mission sets
Lt Col Michael Gette is the commander
of the 61st FS at Luke AFB, Arizona.
He began his transition from the F-15E
community to the F-35 in 2010 at Eglin.
Speaking of his squadron’s flying, Gette
says: “Our flying involves a lot of basic
surface attack, basic air-to-air intercepts,
SEAD, CAS, and opposed surface attack
tactics. The latter is opposed ingress
into a target area with simulated enemy
aircraft, so we fight our way in, drop a
simulated weapon and then fight our way
back out. This aircraft has an innate
capability as a SEAD platform, so we
are going to add that into our syllabus
and that will shift us to more of an air-to-
ground focus. That said, our pilots are
going to be trained in the air-to-air [role].”
F-35 training units are out flying CAS
on a daily basis. There is a particular
emphasis to ensure that the F-35 is
highly competent in this role. It could be
argued that in a permissive environment
where the A-10 can execute its role
with impunity, so too could a range of
attack helicopters and lighter, cheaper
counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft. But
in an era in which even asymmetric
insurgent forces have heavy anti-
aircraft guns and, potentially, modern
‘double-digit’ SAMs, the opportunities
for actually employing traditional
COIN aircraft are relatively limited.