![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/e8f6f8a0-eb11-4183-a375-7b0a453f9f2b.jpg)
The F-35 Lightning II, an unparalleled fifth-generation combat aircraft, recently soared into the history books at Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in Arizona, where the 56th Fighter Wing celebrated its 100,000th sortie.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/971f12f0-33b2-4cec-b467-83b0dfc19f74-6.jpg)
This momentous flight, undertaken by Captain Garrett Ellis of the 308th Fighter Squadron on May 9, 2024, represents a major operational milestone for the F-35 program and showcases its growing maturity.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/b069719f-cf69-41cf-a1f4-07af87835018-3.jpg)
The 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB has the distinction of being the world’s largest F-35 wing and is integral to the training of pilots for combat readiness.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/e05b84fd-0540-45dc-a5ac-ad9a05fd1825.jpg)
With the program’s expansion, pilots at Luke AFB undergo an intensive regimen including hundreds of academic hours and over 80 simulator and flying missions.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/765d8834-3645-4925-85cf-cafb94823583-4.jpg)
Colonel Matthew Johnston, 56th Operations Group commander, proudly stated, “The 100,000th F-35 sortie here at Luke symbolizes the professional work and excellence of the whole Luke team.”
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/b2b21288-cd23-46bb-a79b-26de1c12befd-2.jpg)
But the milestone extends beyond flying hours. The 56th Maintenance Group at Luke AFB also received commendation for its decade-long commitment to aircraft maintenance, ensuring that the wing’s F-16s and F-35s are mission-ready.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/04812305-2b85-4891-857a-956d544e9a9c-4.jpg)
Colonel Adam DiGerolamo, 56th MXG commander, emphasized the group’s dedication to meeting mission and training requirements, a testament to their sustained effort and achievement in reaching this significant sortie milestone.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/f7933652-1d05-4354-b484-1cfc01937aa8.jpg)
Simultaneously, Lockheed Martin celebrated the production of the 1,000th F-35, a testament to the aircraft’s global influence and operational prowess.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/dbcd99f5-0fa0-48ff-bef6-4d80066fc9bb-1.jpg)
“There are now more F-35s in service than all other stealth aircraft combined,” underscoring the broad adoption of the aircraft by multiple allied nations.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/228d265c-30a2-49b4-97cc-fbc8600280a7-1.jpg)
In parallel developments, the Pentagon officially cleared the F-35 for full-rate production, a decision that Lockheed Martin has anticipated for years. William LaPlante, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, highlighted the aircraft’s stability and agility in his statement approving the Milestone C decision.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/cde34b46-2497-4710-b78f-a0e4251a11d0-4.jpg)
The full-scale production authorization is seen as a nod to the program’s success and a signal to the services, partners, and foreign military sales customers of the F-35’s robust capabilities.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ea0b144b-3724-41ac-89bd-4f5bf47cdc71-1.jpg)
However, this achievement is not without its challenges. The program faces delays related to the integration of the Tech Refresh 3 (TR-3) upgrades, essential for the Block 4 advancements.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715349715-187f.jpg)
Lockheed Martin assured that production continues at a steady rate and that jets, including the milestone 1,000th F-35, await the necessary TR-3 hardware and software before they can be delivered.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715579026-e7dd.jpg)
Despite these hiccups, the F-35 Lightning II program is a remarkable story of perseverance, advancement, and unprecedented global partnership.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/287979a4-d06d-40b0-8568-1a7c6275fda0.jpg)
With more than 773,000 flying hours and 469,000 total sorties recorded, the F-35 continues to affirm its place as the most technologically sophisticated fighter jet in service, ready to meet the diverse threats of the modern battlefield.
Relevant articles:
– The F-35 Fighter Just Hit Another Major Milestone: 469,000 Sorties, The National Interest
– Pentagon clears F-35 for full-rate production, defensenews.com
– Lockheed Martin has now built 1,000 F-35s, Sandboxx
– The 1,000th F-35 Has Been Built, The War Zone