Article Posted on : - Apr 05, 2012

A Lockheed photo.

FORT WORTH (BNS): Lockheed Martin has rolled out the first production F-35 Lightening II stealth fighter jet for the Netherlands.

The aircraft, a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the F-35, rolled out from Lockheed's production facility at Forth Worth, Texas on April 1.

The Netherlands will use the jet, known as AN-1, for training and operational tests for pilots and maintainers. AN-1 will undergo functional fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming weeks, Lockheed said.

The European country has so far ordered two F-35 fighters as test aircraft. It has also urged Denmark and Norway to join it in acquiring and maintaining future F-35 fighter jets as a replacement for their F-16 fighters' fleet.

The first F-35 is slated to be delivered to the Netherlands this year followed by the second jet in 2013.