UK F-35Bs arrive at Marham
6 http://www.airforcesmonthly.comNEWS
// JULY 2018 #Headlines
F-35 makes combat debut in Israeli hands
THE ISRAELI Air Force has
flown the first operational
strikes for the F-35,
although details of the
missions remain limited.
The landmark occasion
was announced by IAF
commander, Maj Gen
Amikam Norkin, during
an international air force
commander convention
in Israel on May 22.
Maj Gen Norkin said: “The
Adir [F-35A] aircraft are
already operational and
flying combat missions.
We attacked twice in the
Middle East using the
F-35 – we are the first
in the world to do so.”
The F-35’s combat debut
was made public soon
after the IAF flew strikes
against “dozens” of Iranian
targets inside Syria. Theattacks came after Iran
fired 32 rockets at Israel
earlier in the month –
reportedly, four of these
were intercepted by Israel.
According to Maj Gen
Norkin: “We checked what
the Iranians were doing
around us. [Iran’s special
operations] Quds Force
was based at T4 air base,
250km from Israel. From
this base, they attempted
to attack us using an UAV,
which infiltrated Israel a
number of months ago.
After this event, we saw
they continued to store
munitions in this base,
including aerial defence
capabilities, which we
attacked this month.”
Among the targets were
Uragan rocket launchers
transported by Iranto a location north of
Damascus. Israel claims
that Iran responded to
the air attacks by firing
more than 100 surface-
to-air missiles, includingfrom SA-5, SA-17 and
SA-22 systems.
Meanwhile, apparent
wreckage of a GBU-
Small Diameter Bomb
(SDB) found on Syrianterritory led to speculation
that IAF F-35s may have
been involved in a deep
incursion into the country
to hit a target at Aleppo
Airport on April 29.Above: Maj Gen Norkin shared this photo of an Israeli F-35 fl ying over the Lebanese capital of
Beirut. The aircraft was fi tted with Luneburg lens radar refl ectors. via InternetTHE FIRST four UK-based
F-35Bs arrived at RAF
Marham, Norfolk, on the
evening of June 6. The
Lightnings – ZM145 (BK-11),
ZM146 (BK-12), ZM
(BK-13) and ZM148 (BK-14)- had been expected to
arrive the previous day, but
their transatlantic flight was
delayed by poor weather
at a diversion airfield.
The aircraft were supported
on their transatlantic flight
by three Royal Air Force
Voyager tankers: KC2 ZZ
and KC3 ZZ335 flying from
Gander, Newfoundland,
and KC2 ZZ330 out of
Charleston Air Force Base,
South Carolina. Additional
support was provided by
an RAF Atlas C1 ZM
flying from Bangor, Maine.
The jets are the first
for the RAF’s No 617
Squadron ‘Dambusters’,
which was officially
stood up on April 17.
In recent months, the
squadron, which is led
by Wg Cdr John ‘Butch’Butcher, has focused on
returning to Marham. Nine
of the 11 UK F-35Bs that
were on strength at Beaufort
by June are expected to
arrive in the UK by the
end of August, in time for
the RAF’s main centenary
celebrations this summer.
No 617 Squadron is
expected to declare initial
operating capability at
the end of the year.
The jets arrive in the UK
as RAF Marham undergoes
a £550m facelift knownas Project
Anvil. The
Second
World War
base is being
transformed into
a state-of-the-art facility
that will eventually house
three F-35B squadrons.
No 617 Squadron’s
homecoming will not end
UK operations at MCAS
Beaufort, where the unit
has been working up under
Marine Fighter Attack
Training Squadron (VMFAT)501. A
‘footprint’
will remain
at the South
Carolina base
until No 207
Squadron, the Lightning
Operational Conversion
Unit (OCU), re-forms there
in the middle of next year
before heading to Marham.
Eventually, No 617
Squadron will work up 809
Naval Aviation Squadron,
which will split away
and form in mid-2023.Above: The fi rst four British F-35Bs arrived at RAF Marham on the evening of June 6, led by Wg Cdr Butcher.
Jamie Hunter Right: Wg Cdr John Butcher, Offi cer Commanding No 617 Squadron. Jamie Hunter