The first F-35 for Norway is in the final stages of production, Lockheed Martin said in a press release. The fighter, known as AM-1, left the main F-35 production facility on Aug. 19 and moved to the aircraft final finishes facility for its stealth coating. It will go through a series of functional fuel system checks and operational ground checks before its first flight, and is slated to be assigned to Luke AFB, Ariz., later this year, as part of the Air Force’s pilot training program for US and international pilots. AM-1 is the first of four Norwegian F-35s in production at the Lockheed Martin facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The country first authorized the purchase of a Joint Strike Fighter in 2012, marking the first time in three decades Norway ordered new combat aircraft for its armed forces.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.