F-35 Lightning II Program Surpasses 10,000 Flight Hours
10.10.2013 North America
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program continues its operational maturation, surpassing 10,000 flight hours in September. More than half of the total hours were accumulated in just the past 11 months. Through September, F-35s flew 6,492 times for a total of 10,077 flight hours.
The new milestone effectively doubles the safe flight operations of the F-35 in a year, compared to reaching 5,000 flight hours in six years.
This milestone was achieved by operational production aircraft operating at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, where F-35 pilots and aircraft maintainers conduct training and the combined F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) and Operational Test (OT) aircraft operating at Edwards AFB, California, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, and Nellis AFB, Nevada.
All three variants: the F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL), the F-35B Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL), and the F-35C Carrier Variant (CV) participated in the program milestone.
The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least 10 other countries.
The new milestone effectively doubles the safe flight operations of the F-35 in a year, compared to reaching 5,000 flight hours in six years.
This milestone was achieved by operational production aircraft operating at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, where F-35 pilots and aircraft maintainers conduct training and the combined F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) and Operational Test (OT) aircraft operating at Edwards AFB, California, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, and Nellis AFB, Nevada.
All three variants: the F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL), the F-35B Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL), and the F-35C Carrier Variant (CV) participated in the program milestone.
The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least 10 other countries.
Previous PostHarris Wins New Contract from USAF Space Command
Latest news
Latest events
Dubai International Air Chiefs’ Conference (DIACC 2025)
16 Nov 2025Atlantis, The Palm Dubai - United Arab EmiratesDubai Airshow
17 - 21 Nov 2025Dubai World Central (DWC) - United Arab EmiratesEgypt Defence Expo (EDEX)
01 - 04 Dec 2025Egypt International Exhibition Center New Cairo - EgyptDoha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (DIMDEX 2026)
19 - 22 Jan 2026Doha - Qatar







