combat aircraft

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  rst batch of jets will operate from

the north side of the air eld until the new

southern operational areas are complete.

‘The maintenance and  nal  nishing

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  nished over

the summer.’

Air Cdre David Bradshaw added, ‘Our

intention was never to have everything

ready [now], but good enough to sustain

F-35 operations. Our delivery program 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. Lightning Force deputy

commander Capt Adam Clink said

that No 617 Squadron will move to

the south side once the constructor

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.’

The move to maritime

The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip

Jones said, ‘Once combined with our new

aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth

and her sister ship HMS Prince of Wales,

these extraordinary jets will sit at the

heart of our country’s globally deployable

expeditionary forces and provide the

potent conventional deterrent we need

to ensure our national security.’

With  rst-of-class sea trials for the

F-35B aboard the Queen Elizabeth

planned for the autumn, No 17 TES at

Edwards AFB, California, is scheduled

to engage in a period of operational

testing aboard the carrier in autumn

2019 as the UK progresses towards a

joint deployment with the US Marine

Corps in 2021 on the new vessel. The

ultimate goal in the medium term is

to put a strike package of 24 F-35s to

sea in 2023, when Britain will declare

full operating capability with two front-

line Lightning squadrons.

Wg Cdr John Butcher

leads the four F-35Bs

to parking at RAF

Marham. Jamie Hunter

Above: The

Marham F-35Bs

will operate from

the apron on the

north side of the

airfi eld until new

facilities on the

south side are

completed.

Jamie Hunter

http://www.combataircraft.net // August 2018 27

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