[Photo] First F-35 sporting “LF” tail code for Luke Air Force Base

Not only is it the 100th F-35, but it’s also the first aircraft bound to Luke Air Force Base, near Phoenix Arizona, the airbase chosen by the U.S. Air Force for the international F-35 pilot training.

The aircraft will arrive at Luke early in 2014, and it will be the first of 144 F-35s that will operate within 56th Fighter Wing’s six squadrons for U.S. and allied JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) training.

Image credit: LM

 

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About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.