Combat Coded

Australia’s next fighter jet has passed a critical milestone with the US Air Force declaring the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter “combat ready”

In a move seemingly aimed at both allaying critics and signalling intent to potential adversaries, the US Air Force has declared its first squadron of F-35As combat ready, theoretically making the aircraft available for overseas operations. This project milestone comes a year, almost to the day, since the USMC declared its STOVL F-35Bs ‘combat coded’.

The squadron entrusted with achieving the type’s initial operating capability (IOC) in USAF service was the 34th FS, located at Hill AFB, Utah and occurred within the timeframe outlined by Air Combat Command’s (ACC) Commander, General ‘Hawk’ Carlisle at July’s RIAT airshow.