An Air Force F-35A set a new speed record Aug. 1 when it took to the air as part of a sortie just seven hours after leaving the production facility. The 338th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, hit the milestone after accepting delivery of its 68th Joint Strike Fighter, according to a service news release. The aircraft left the Lockheed Martin Corp. production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, shortly after 8 a.m., arrived at Hill around 10 a.m., and was participating in its first combat training mission by 3 p.m. Officials said the feat speaks to the ability to deploy F-35s directly from the factory if a conflict situation calls for it, and highlights the ability to transfer important data quickly from manufacturer to operational unit. Hill, which received the first operational F-35As in October 2015, will have 78 of the aircraft by the end of the year. Read more at AF.mil.
F-35 Sets New Record
