Nichols Martin
Turkey, a parts supplier for the F-35 program, will receive its first delivery of the aircraft on June 21, with a second one to follow after, AA reported Friday.
The deliveries follow orders Turkey made in 2014 for two F-35 units that are scheduled for deployment by 2019.
The U.S. military is currently training two Turkish pilots for the corresponding aircraft, and will deliver the second unit after completion of training, the report noted.
The Turkish pilots will fly the jets from the U.S. to Turkey in September 2019 to mark the aircraft’s physical transfer.
The Aviationist reported Friday that the first Turkish F-35 has already performed flight for the first time at a Lockheed Martin facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
Turkey seeks to deploy the aircraft at the country’s 7th Main Jet Base Command, and form an F-35 fleet of 100 units.
