Mountain Home AFB hosts F-35 test team

A crew chief inspects an F-35 Lightning II following a training mission launched from Mountain Home Air Force Base on Feb. 24. Six of the fifth generation fighters and more than 160 personnel deployed to the local Air Force base as part of a process to determine whether the jet are ready to handle actual combat conditions.

The future of the Air Force's next generation fighter continued taking shape at Mountain Home Air Force Base over the past three weeks during a program that aims to prepare the jet for its first combat deployment.

Six F-35 Lightning II fighters from the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., flew here along with more than 160 support personnel as part of a program known as initial operational capability, or IOC for short.

Training conducted in the ...

For the full story, pick up a copy of the Mountain Home News or click on this link to subscribe to the newspaper's online edition.