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Back in 1979, Hill Air Force Base Utah (HAFB) received it’s first new F-16 Fighting Falcon. It was to be the first base with combat ready operational F-16s. So it only seemed fit that HAFB, with its exceptional record and time with the F-16, was chosen to once again kick off a new generation fighter aircraft into combat readiness.
36 years later, enter the new F-35A Lightning II, the US Air Force’s newest 5th generation stealth fighter. In a scene right out of an Ironman movie and that Tony Stark himself would be proud of, the roll-out ceremony for the F-35A at HAFB began in a decorated climate controlled hanger. In the background, the silhouette of the new fighter was beautifully and dramatically lit. The singing of the national anthem and recitation of a blessing were followed by several guest speakers. High ranking Air Force personnel, members of Congress and Lockheed-Martin (the aircraft manufacturer) representatives, took turns explaining why the US and the world needed the new jet and that they were in full support of this aircraft and the incredible capabilities it brings to the battlefield. After the remarks concluded, the gathered crowd proceeded outside to witness a flyby of two F-35A’s from Nellis AFB, Nevada.
The F-35 was designed to give our warfighter a lethal, high tech, survivable weapon to win any future conflict with dominance. Just like any other new combat aircraft, the F-35 has yet to prove its full potential. It’s mission: to fight hidden, beyond visual range and to employ new cutting edge sensors and electronics capabilities like never before.
Welcome to Utah F-35!