F-35 trainer demo showcased at Kunsan

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  A training demonstration team from Lockheed Martin Aerodynamics came here Nov. 1 to 4 with a 5th generation F-35 Lightning II trainer cockpit for Kunsan's Airmen to try out and for the 8th Fighter Wing's pilots to get a taste of what is to come.

"I think this has been great for us," said Stormy Boudreaux, an F-35 instructor pilot with Lockheed Martin and retired Air Force fighter pilot of 24 years. "What we're doing is showcasing the U.S. military's state of the art aircraft and letting Kunsan see what it's all about."

Boudreaux said though flying aircraft is unique to the pilots, this trainer demo also gives maintainers, defenders, services and anyone else interested a chance to get in the cockpit and have hands-on the new multi-role fighter.

"I've always wanted an incentive flight," said Master Sgt. Trevor Jackson, 8th Force Support Squadron dining facility section chief. "But this was great! It definitely gives us non-flyers a broader spectrum of the mission."

Jackson was one of the first to jump at the chance and test drive the new equipment.

"It was definitely way better than any video game I've ever played, and those feel life-like at times," he continued. "They say the trainer is exactly what it's like and I could tell it definitely has that 'real feel' to it. I loved it."

This was certainly one experience all Kunsan Airmen had the opportunity to enjoy, though the trainer demo officials said they brought the device here for more than just the fun it provides.

"We use this as a development tool," Boudreaux said.

"Sometimes maintenance can give us things to incorporate into the designs to save money and improve the overall maintenance of the aircraft," said Joel Malone, Lockheed Martin's F-35 customer engagement spokesman and retired Air Force fighter pilot as well. "It's important for us to know what the war fighter needs to accomplish their mission, and for us this is everyone involved in getting that aircraft in the air."

The F-35 integrates advanced stealth technology into a highly agile, supersonic aircraft that provides the pilot with unprecedented situational awareness and unmatched lethality and survivability, Lockheed Martin officials said.

"While each variant is uniquely designed to operate from different bases, all three variants set new standards in network-enabled mission systems, sensor fusion, supportability and maintainability," said Boudreaux. "This effectively redefines the multi-role fighter."

This new aircraft is said to replace four active duty aircraft: the Air Force's F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II, the Marine Corps' AV-8B Harrier II and the Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet.

Currently there are six F-35s assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and six more, according to Malone, will arrive there by the end of this year to begin the training programs for the new aircraft.

"With the fast turnover rate at Kunsan, the pilots who came to check out the trainer here will be out in the rest of the Air Force before long with at least some knowledge of how the aircraft operates," Malone said. "So Kunsan really is a great location."

The best kept secret in the Air Force, as some say about Kunsan, Malone said he'd been looking forward to a trip back to the last warrior base.

"It's been a real pleasure to be here at the tip of the spear and the last line of defense for the peninsula," he said. "The Pantons and Juvats are the first to engage and they really do a great job year-in and year-out."

For more information on the F-35 and what it means to not only the U.S. military, but to eight other partner nations in its development, visit this website: https://www.f35.com/.