First European deployment USAF F-35A Lightning II
Eight F-35As Lightning II and more than 200 airmen belonging to active-duty 34th Fighter Squadron / 388th Fighter Wing, and Reserve unit 466th Fighter Squadron / 419th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah, deployed to RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, from April 15 to May 7. While deploying, the 5th generation a/c have been carrying out each day about eigth-ten training sorties alongside 48th Fighter Wing F-15Cs and F-15Es, as well as, Royal Air Force and NATOs aircraft. Although such kind of flying activity was carried over the UK airspace, some a/c flew forwared deployments to Amari, Estonia and Graf Iniatevo, Bulgaria, finalized to maximize training operations with NATOs Allies. The first deployment of the U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II is part of the European Reassurance Initiative programe for 2017, which is a program stared in 2014 with purpose to increase U.S. presence in the Europen NATO’s theater. Pictures of this report have been taken April 28 at RAF Lakenheath, in a photo session organized by 48th Fighter Wing Public Affair. My sincere thanks for being included in this group of photographers.
report and photos Renzo Del Bianco / AAFG
