October 11, 2013
FORT WORTH. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II 5th generation fighter has surpassed 10,000 flight hours. Three types of F-35s were included in the program milestone: the F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL), the F-35B Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL), and the F-35C Carrier Variant (CV). The F-35s underwent 10,077 flight hours over 6,492 test flights, surpassing the 10,000 flight hours in September 2013. This new milestone doubles the safe flight operations of the F-35s in a year, compared to reaching only 5,000 flight hours in the last six years.