The F-35 Fighter Just Hit Another Major Milestone: 469,000 Sorties

Summary: The F-35 Lightning II program achieved a significant milestone at Luke Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona, with the 56th Fighter Wing completing its 100,000th sortie on May 9, 2024. This sortie, flown by Captain Garrett Ellis of the 308th Fighter Squadron, underscores the program's growing maturity and operational success. Luke AFB, home to the world's largest F-35 wing, plays a crucial role in training pilots, with each receiving extensive academic and flight training.

-The achievement also highlights the efforts of the 56th Maintenance Group, which manages the upkeep of both F-16s and F-35s, ensuring high mission readiness and training over 400 pilots annually.

-Additionally, Lockheed Martin recently celebrated the production of the 1,000th F-35, marking a significant production milestone for modern combat aircraft, surpassing the numbers of all other stealth aircraft combined. The F-35 continues to expand its global footprint, with extensive operational hours and adoption by multiple allied nations.

F-35 Lightning II Reaches New Heights with 100,000 Sorties at Luke AFB, 469,000 Total 

In March, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) announced that it approved full-scale production of the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. It was seen as a significant milestone for the program, but it was this month that the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona, also announced another major achievement for the F-35 program.

On May 9, 2024, the fighter wing produced its 100,000th sortie with the stealth fighter at Luke AFB. That sortie was flown by Captain Garrett Ellis, 308th Fighter Squadron instructor pilot, the U.S. Air Force announced.

"The 100,000th F-35 sortie here at Luke symbolizes the professional work and excellence of the whole Luke team," said Col. Matthew Johnston, 56th Operations Group commander. "During an F-35 student's time here, they can expect to receive hundreds of academic hours and over 80 simulator and flying missions so they are prepared for the Combat Air Forces."

The 56th Fighter Wing is the world's largest F-35 Lightning II wring, and one of two U.S. Air Force F-35 training units. The 56th graduates dozens of F-35 annually.

Beyond the Flight Hours

The air service also noted that the 100,000th sortie further highlighted the work of Luke AFB's 56th Maintenance Group, which ensures the 56th Fighter Wing can produce sorties with reliable and maintained aircraft.

"For a decade, our maintenance team has worked hard to sustain these highly capable aircraft," added Col. Adam DiGerolamo, 56th MXG commander. "Each and every year, we’ve been able to overcome obstacles to meet mission and training requirements, culminating in this momentous milestone."

The 56th Maintenance Group continues to provide aircraft maintenance on approximately seventy-seven F-16 and eighty-six F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. The group is noted for playing a pivotal role in conducting safe training for more than 400 pilots, while it helps support more than 30,000 sorties and 37,000 flight hours annually. It remains the largest maintenance group in the United States Air Force, with 2,200 members, and each year, the group also trains more than 3,000 maintenance technicians.

More Than 1,000 F-35s

Earlier this year Lockheed Martin also announced that it completed production on the 1,000 F-35 Lightning II. Apart from older fourth-generation aircraft, including the F-15 Eagle and the Sukhoi Su-27 (NATO reporting name "Flanker"), few modern combat aircraft have reached a "four-figure" production run.

There are now more F-35s in service than all other stealth aircraft combined.

According to the F-35 Joint Program Office, as of the beginning of this year, the Lightning II had accumulated more than 773,000 flight hours spread out across 469,000 total sorties, while the stealth fighter is now operated or will be adopted by more than a dozen allied and partner nations around the world.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.