The F-35A made its first transatlantic flight last week. An Italian-built F-35A flew from Cameri AB, Italy, to NAS Patuxent River, Md., landing on Feb. 5. The jet, AL-1, was the first international jet fully built in Italy and was flown by an Italian Air Force F-35 pilot who completed training at Luke AFB, Ariz., in November, according to a release from the F-35 program office. The jet will become the first of five Italian F-35s to join the training fleet at Luke. The trip totaled 11 flight hours, including seven refuels from an Italian Air Force KC-767 tanker. “The efficiency and reliability of the aircraft has been 100 percent—we had no issues at all,” the Italian F-35 pilot, Maj. Gian Marco D., said in the release. “This demonstrates the capability of the aircraft itself, of the program.”
While the Pentagon has signaled its intent to scale technology, field new systems faster, and work more with nontraditional vendors, a new report identifies persistent manufacturing capacity, resourcing, workforce, and modernization challenges that could hinder its ability to deliver on those goals.