X-35A completes first flight in Palmdale, California.
Oct. 24, 2000
Lockheed Martin and Boeing selected for Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstration phase.
Nov. 22, 2000
X-35A completes test program and returns to Palmdale, California to be converted to the X-35B.
X-35C completes first test flight from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base, California.
Dec. 16, 2000
May 24, 2001
X-35B flight-ready system operations begin.
June 23, 2001
X-35B achieves first press-up, the first time in history that a shaft-driven lift fan propulsion system lifts an aircraft.
Aug. 6, 2001
X-35B completes flight testing with its 66th flight.
The joint Strike Fighter System Design and Development contract is awarded to Lockheed Martin, teamed with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.
Oct. 26, 2001
2002
F-35 Lightning II program team wins prestigious Collier Trophy for the F-35B’s Integrated Lift Fan Propulsion System.
Nov. 10, 2003
Manufacturing begins on F-35 airframe with milling process.
AA-1 completes its first flight, piloted by Jon Beesley.
Dec. 15, 2006
Feb. 20, 2006
First F-35A, AA-1, exits the Lockheed Martin factory.
June 11, 2008
F-35B completes its first flight.
F-35 completes first supersonic flight.
Nov. 13, 2008
Nov. 24, 2008
CATBird, an avionics flight testbed aircraft, begins inflight integration of F-35 avionics.
Mar. 18, 2010
F-35B completes first vertical landing at Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland.
June 6, 2010
F-35C completes its first flight.
First production F-35, AF-6, completes its first flight.
Feb. 25, 2011
April 6, 2011
F-35 System Design and Development fleet surpasses 1,000 flight hours.
May 5, 2011
U.S. Air Force formally accepts the First Low Rate Initial Production F-35 into its inventory.
July 14, 2011
Lockheed Martin delivers the first F-35A to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, for pilot and maintainer training.
Catapult launches the F-35C for the first time at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.
July 27, 2011
July 11, 2011
Lockheed Martin delivers the first F-35B to the U.S. Marine Corps.
Oct. 3, 2011
F-35B lands on the USS Wasp for the program’s first vertical landing on a ship.
Lockheed Martin delivers the first international F-35, an F-35B to the United Kingdom.
July 12, 2012
Nov. 20, 2012
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, officially welcomes the base’s first three F-35B aircraft, making it the first operational F-35 base.
Mar. 19, 2013
First three F-35s report to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, for F-35A Operation Test and Evaluation.
Lockheed Martin delivers the first F-35C to the U.S. Navy at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, for pilot and maintainer training.
June 22, 2013
Dec.13, 2013
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force inaugurate the 100th F-35 produced.
Aug. 14, 2013
F-35B accomplishes the first night vertical landing and short takeoff at sea aboard the USS WASP during the second phase of ship suitability testing.
Luke Air Force Base receives first of 144 F-35s.
Mar.14, 2014
May 28, 2014
Eglin Air Force Base receives final F-35A, marking the 58th Fighter Squadron as the first complete Air Force F-35A squadron.
U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christopher Callaway
The first F-35B is assigned to VMFAT-501 arrives at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
July 17, 2014
May 19, 2015
Luke Air Force Base officially begins training pilots.
Nov. 14, 2014
The F-35C completes the first phase of developmental testing aboard an aircraft carrier three days ahead of schedule.
U.S. Marine Corps photos by Cpl. Aneshea S. Yee
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman James Hensley
Hill Air Force Base receives first two F-35As.
Oct.14, 2015
July 31, 2015
Aug. 2, 2016
The U.S. Air Force officially declares F-35A Initial Operational Capability.
The Marines declare F-35B Initial Operational Capability with 10 jets at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Remington Hall
U.S. Air Force photo by David Perry
U.S. Air Force photo by Todd Cromar
April 12, 2018
The F-35 completes most comprehensive flight test program in aviation history.
February 2019
September 2019
Air National Guard receives its first two F-35 aircraft.
The U.S. Navy declares Initial Operational Capability
F-35 Completes Most Comprehensive Flight Test Program In Aviation History
Continuing to support the mission...
First female airman deploys from Hill Air Force Base for historic combat launch.
June 2020
U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kat Justen
