Article Posted on : - Jul 21, 2011

The F-35A Lightening II fighter. A Lockheed Martin photo

FORT WORTH (BNS): Lockheed Martin has delivered the second F-35A Lightening II stealth fighter to the US Air Force for training purposes.

The aircraft, designated AF-8, arrived at the Eglin Air Force Base on Wednesday and will be assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing for training pilots.

The delivery of AF-8 comes within a week of the delivery of first F-35A production jet, AF-9, assigned for training purposes.

The Eglin Air Force Base had received the AF-9 conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the supersonic fighter jet last Thursday.

Both the warplanes will be used for training F-35 pilots and maintainers who are slated to begin course work at the Eglin Air Force Base’s new F-35 Integrated Training Center this fall.

The fully-integrated F-35 pilot-and-maintenance training center includes pilot and maintenance training equipment, support, systems and facilities for all three F-35 variants – the CTOL, short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) and aircraft carrier-based variant.

The AF-8 is the eighth F-35 to be delivered in 2011 and the fourth production model delivered to the USAF.