Three Lockheed Martin F-35 "Adir" aircraft landed at the Nevatim Air Base last night. Israel know holds a fleet of 39 such aircraft, including the experimental aircraft (AS-15) stationed at the Tel Nof base. The fleet recently crossed 20,000 cumulative flight hours in training, certification and operational activity. The State of Israel was the first in the world to choose the F-35 as part of a military sales deal with the American government, when it signed an agreement in October 2010. Related articles: IDF strikes military capabilities at Syrian military bases 2 rockets fired at Israel from Gaza IAF destroys dozens of Nuhkba Force vehicles in Gaza IDF strikes Syrian military bases to neutralize threats The Israeli Air Force declared operational capability for the F-35 aircraft in December 2017, thereby marking the completion of the comprehensive training, training and assimilation processes for the aircraft and their crews at the Nevatim base. Since then, the aircraft has been in full operational service and the current equipping process will continue in the coming years until all the purchased aircraft are completed. As of early July, the 945 F-35s worldwide have accumulated 691,000 cumulative flight hours. The F-35s operate from 39 bases and aircraft carriers in nine countries around the world. Over 2,070 pilots and 14,525 maintenance personnel have been trained so far.
