Komatsu Air Base on Japan’s western coast has become the latest hub for the country’s advanced air power with the arrival of its first F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft.
Lockheed Martin's F-35 Engineering and Technology team has introduced new software quality gates aimed at detecting and resolving issues earlier in the development process.
Norway has achieved two major milestones in strengthening its defence capability with the completion of the delivery of all 52 F-35 fighter jets and the beginning of deliveries of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM).
Of the 62 aircraft delivered in the first quarter of 2025, 47 were F-35 Lightning II jets, American defence company Lockheed Martin said in a press release.
The integration of JSM with the F-35 will significantly strengthen Norway’s ability to locate and strike defended targets at long distances with precision and low detection risk.
F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS), Hill Air Force Base, Utah, arrived at Kadena Air Base, Japan, on 24 April 2025.
The F-35 programme has experienced delays and cost overruns in implementing Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3), a necessary hardware and software upgrade for future Block 4 improvements.
On 21 April, the United States Department of Defense announced a USD 180 million contract modification awarded to Lockheed Martin by the U.S. Navy.
An F-35A Lightning II was displayed on the flightline during the 2025 Spring Fling family day at Jacksonville Air National Guard Base, Florida, on 13 April 2025.
According to Turkish defence website TurkDef, Ankara is seeking to rejoin the F-35 Lightning II programme and acquire the fifth-generation fighter jets.
Switzerland’s decision to acquire 36 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, under a contract signed in 2022, has led to ongoing political debate within the country.
Belgium’s Minister of Defence Theo Francken announced on 14 April that the country intends to purchase additional Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II multirole fighter aircraft.
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