First Australian F-35A

Key Points

• Australia's first Lockheed Martin F-35A completed its maiden flight to perform a series of functional checks
• The RAAF is due to receive its first two F-35s this year

First Australian F-35A

Australia's first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter completed its maiden flight.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Chief Test Pilot Alan Norman flew a two-hour sortie to perform a series of functional checks.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is scheduled to receive the aircraft, known as AU-1, later this year. It is expected to be assigned to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona so that Australia and partner countries can use it for pilot training.

The first two F-35As for the RAAF, AU-1 and AU-2, came off Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth, Texas, production line. The aircraft were the first of 72 ordered by Australia. The first F-35s are expected to arrive in Australia in 2018, with initial operating capability slated for 2023.

Under the Project AIR 6000 procurement programme, Australia is expected to buy up to 100 conventional take-off and landing F-35A aircraft over three phases (2A/2B/2C). In November 2012 it was estimated that the total expected cost for these aircraft would be AUD17 billion (USD16 billion), with operational costs for a total fleet of about 100 aircraft over 30-years running to about AUD20 billion (based on the currently expected rate of effort and assuming the economies of scale of an eventual all JSF fleet). While AU-1 and AU-2 cost USD130 million each, the F-35A unit cost is billed to come down to USD80 million by 2018-19.

Australia is the fourth partner country to receive F-35 aircraft, after the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Canada, Denmark, Italy, Norway, and Turkey are also partner countries. Israel and Singapore are Security Cooperative Participants, while Japan and South Korea are the first two Foreign Military Sales customers.