moment in British air power. If you can’t
see us coming, you won’t be able to stop
us, so with its stealth and other world-
beating technologies the F-35 Lightning
takes the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy to
a whole new level of capability.’Building the force
The UK Lightning Force has built up the
eet and trained personnel in the US. It
has now begun the process of parting o
to return to the UK and establish sovereign
operations. Air Cdre David Bradshaw, the
Lightning Force commander, commented,
‘The generation of the aircraft at
VMFAT-501 at Beaufort has been a massive
team e ort with US Marines, Royal Air
Force, Royal Navy and contractors. We’ve
put in a lot of e ort to ensure the jets and
personnel are ready.’
The transit to the UK for the rst 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
o 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 veryWe’ve been fl ying the aircraft in
the US, so we have a good degree
of understanding, but it will be a gentle
ramp-up over the coming years
Air Cdre David Bradshawexciting point in the program as we are
transitioning into a force’, Bradshaw stated.
He added that the plan is for a very
slow build-up, taking a steady approach
to declaration of IOC. ‘It will be the ‘crawl,
walk, run’ approach,’ he said. ‘We’ve been
ying the aircraft in the US, so we have
a good degree of understanding, but it
will be a gentle ramp-up over the coming
years. When we get to a suitable size with
the ‘Dambusters’ as a super-squadron,
it will split into two halves, with 809
Naval Air Squadron becoming thesecond operational unit, and the two will
continue to grow over time towards full
strength by the end of 2023.’
From August 18, the squadron will
start its IOC work-up. Highlights include
weapons carriage phases and expected
participation in Exercise ‘Cobra Warrior’,
which will see the F-35s working
alongside other UK assets. The nal push
to IOC will see a ‘war week’ intended
to demonstrate capability before the
declaration that the Lightning Force is
ready to deploy in a land-based capacity.Below: The four
jets arriving at
RAF Marham
were in Block
3FP6.2 software
confi guration.
Crown Copyright/
Sgt Nik HoweWg Cdr John Butcher (right) and
Lt Cdr Adam Hogg, the squadron’s
executive offi cer. Jamie HunterSPECIAL REPORT // UK LIGHTNING FORCE
26 August 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
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