On 15 January the first wing box for the F-35A produced by the Italian Finmeccanica at the FACO (Final Assembly & Check-Out) in Cameri made the first flight with the AF-88 aircraft of the US Air Force in Fort Worth in Texas.
The AF-88 aircraft, the 156th produced to date, made its first control flight operated by Lockheed Martin. Subsequently, the pilots of the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) will carry out a control flight before the acceptance and delivery of the aircraft to the Nellis air base for the operational test and evaluation session.
The work contracted by Finmeccanica, a strategic co-supplier for the F-35A wing boxes, is one of the broadest projects for the F-35 program in Italy that involves the production of 835 complete wing boxes.
“The Italian industry has played a decisive role in the development of the aircraft since the beginning of the program. Components and parts produced in Italy are mounted on every single F-35 that has been produced, ”commented Jack Crisler, vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Business Development. "The Italian industry will contribute to the F-35 program for more than 30 years with component manufacturing, aircraft assembly, parts replacement and maintenance."
