A sneak preview of the first and second F-35 being delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force

The first of 72 F-35s for the Royal Australian Air Force rolled out at Lockheed Martin’s Ft. Worth facility on Jul. 24.

The RAAF is expected to base the Joint Strike Fighter at two bases: Williamtown, in New South Wales, and Tindal, in the Northern Territory, where 1.5 billion USD facilities and infrastructures to support the new fifth generation radar-evading plane will be built.

Ahead of the ceremony, Lockheed Martin unveiled to media the second F-35 (top image), AU-2, which already wears the standard overall grey color scheme along with the RAAF roundels and tail marking of the No 2 Operational Conversion Unit from RAAF Williamtown.

Above: the first F-35 AU-1

More from The Aviationist

Military Aviation

UK Announces Retirement of Watchkeeper UAV, 14 Chinooks, 17 Pumas and 3 Royal Navy Ships

Military Aviation

F-15D Eagle Spotted with Unusual Infrared Measurement Pod

Aircraft Profiles

McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle

Weapons

Royal Air Force Typhoon Test-fires latest SPEAR 3 Cruise Missile in Sweden

Military Aviation

F-16 Cockpit Collapsible ACE Ladder Wins Air Force Innovation Competition

Image credit: Lockheed Martin

Related articles

• While the F-35s remain grounded, the Scorpion low-cost multi-mission jet has arrived in the UK
• Non-US F-35 takes to the skies: first UK’s Joint Strike Fighter inaugural flight (with some nice low-visibility markings)
• V8 Supercar drivers experience extreme G-force dogfighting against each other in F/A-18 Hornet jets
• F-35 fleet grounded indefinitely. Once again.
• [Video] F/A-18B Hornet jets take off in 30 – 40 knot crosswind
• Australia to gain “Growler” capability with 12 EA-18G jets capable to perform Electronic Attack, SEAD missions
• [Video] All kinds of planes recovering at Nellis Air Force Base after Red Flag mission