A KC-135 tanker refueled a Navy F-35C strike fighter for the first time, announced F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The hook-up took place on Aug. 20 near NAS Patuxent River, Md., with Lt. Col. Patrick Moran piloting the F-35C airframe, CF-1, for the coupling with the tanker, states the company’s Aug. 23 release. With this, all three variants—Air Force’s F-35A, Marine Corps’ F-35B, and Navy’s F-35C—have now taken on fuel from the KC-135, according to the company. Earlier this month, the first F-35C local training sortie took place at the F-35 schoolhouse at Eglin AFB, Fla.
USAF to Cut F-35 Buy in Future Years Defense Plan
May 14, 2021
The Air Force wants to scale back buys of the F-35 over the next five years, hoping to get sustainment costs down and to wait for the more capable Block 4 version, according to talking points prepared for Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. The reduced buy will…