Air Force Special Operations Command sent a CV-22B tiltrotor aircraft from the United States to Mildenhall AB, Britain, for beddown there as part of the 7th Special Operations Squadron. This CV-22 is the first of 10 that the squadron will operate, according to a June 26 command release. All 10 are scheduled to be in place by the end of 2014. The vehicle left for Mildenhall on June 21. Also on that day, Mildenhall officials held the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the base’s new CV-22 simulator facility. (Includes Hurlburt report by SrA. Laura Yahemiak and Mildenhall report by Karen Abeyasekere)
Contracts for F-35 airframes in Lot 18 and 19 should be signed in the spring, but an engine deal is still not in hand and could take months longer. The delays don't seem to be driven by anticipation of how the new Trump administration will influence the program.