F-35’s First Passport Stamp

The F-35 strike fighter will make its international debut in Britain this summer at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in July, according to the Royal Air Force. “It is entirely fitting that the F-35’s first stop outside the United States will be in the UK,” said British Defense Minister Phillip Hammond in an April 17 RAF release. “The US and the UK have worked closely together on the F-35. … We are the only country that is a first tier partner in the project.” Britain currently has three F-35s supporting RAF and Royal Navy pilot training at the multinational schoolhouse at Eglin AFB, Fla. The RAF plans to activate the fabled “Dambusters” of World War II as its first F-35B unit at RAF Marham, England, in 2018. The Lightning II also will make an appearance at the Farnborough International Air Show later the same month, states the release.