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Written question asked by Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party) on Tuesday, 17 November 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 November 2020. It was answered by Jeremy Quin (Conservative) on Monday, 23 November 2020 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.


USA: F-35 Aircraft

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether three of the UK's 48 F-35B Lightning aircraft will remain in the US as test or training aircraft and not be available for operational commitments.

Answer

On current plans, the three 17 Squadron UK F-35B Lightning aircraft, based at Edwards Air Force Base in California, will remain in the USA to conduct Test and Evaluation (T&E) during the F-35 Follow-on Modernisation (FoM) phase. They continue to deliver the rapid design, integration and flight test of critical operational and safety technology modernisation.

As such, the 17 Squadron mission will continue to provide a critical contribution to the rapid development of Lightning capabilities, delivering significant operational benefits.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
116525
Session
2019-21
Subjects
Training Testing USA F-35 aircraft
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk