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| F-35 Under-Construction (File Photo) |
By NIGEL PITTAWAY
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA AND FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Australia’s program to replace its F/A-18A/B Hornet fleet with F-35A joint strike fighters will achieve a significant milestone in July when the first aircraft rolls off the assembly line, followed by the second four weeks later.
On Dec. 13, that first aircraft transitioned from the Electronic Mate and Assembly System to the final assembly line at Fort Worth. It marked the first time the aircraft had stood on its own wheels.
The weight on wheels milestone came as confidence grows in Australia that, from a technical standpoint at least, the New Air Combat Capability (NACC) program will deliver under the latest timeline.
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