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First Lockheed Martin F-35 For Australia Takes Shape In Fort Worth.
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Air Force News - Lockheed Martin - Australia - F-35 |
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| First Lockheed Martin F-35 For Australia Takes Shape In Fort Worth. | |||
Lockheed
Martin and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) celebrated the beginnings
of the first F-35 Lightning II for Australia yesterday. The aircraft,
designated as AU-1, officially began the mate process, where major components
of the aircraft are joined together to form the aircraft’s structure.
AU-1 will then make its way down the assembly line and roll out of the
factory for delivery to the RAAF in the summer of 2014. |
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 Australia’s first F-35A Lightning II in the factory in Fort Worth, Texas. (photo credit: Lockheed Martin) |
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| Jeff Babione, Lockheed Martin Vice President and Deputy Program Manager for F-35, highlighted the ongoing partnership between Lockheed Martin and Australia. “Today marks a new beginning for tactical aviation for Australia,” said Babione. “Lockheed Martin is proud of our long and storied relationship with Australian aviation, and now, the F-35 will ensure that the relationship with the RAAF and Australian Industry remains strong for decades to come.” The global supply chain for the F-35 currently has 14 Australian companies under contract and building parts for the F-35. Australian industry is expected to gain up to $6.3 billion USD in industry opportunities over the life of the F-35 program. Every F-35 built will have some Australian parts and components. The occasion also marked a longstanding history between Lockheed Martin and Australia’s Defence Forces, beginning with the Lockheed Vega, F-111 and continuing with the F-35. Australia’s first two F-35s, now in production, will be delivered to the RAAF next year. Australia still intends to buy 100 F-35A (conventional variant) for the moment with the F-35 expected to join the Forces in 2019. |
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