Saturday, December 27, 2025
Latest:
  • Is the Chief of Army just a figurehead?
  • Doors and distractions
  • Australia completes delivery of tanks to Ukraine
  • Alfie the Elf’s Christmas at RAAF Base Richmond
  • Future leaders graduate from ADFA

CONTACT magazine

Australia's best free military news site

  • NEWS
  • Poetry
  • Podcasts
  • Fitness
  • Videos
  • Archives
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Write to us
CONTACT magazine
An Aussie and three US F-35A Lightning IIs on a training sortie near Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Lockheed Martin photo
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force Science & Technology 

Next 8 Aussie F-35s ordered – at new ‘low’ price

04/02/201704/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6303 Views 0 Comments F-35 Lightning, Joint Strike Fighter, JSF

The next batch of F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters – including eight for Australia – has been ordered, at

Read more
News Overseas USA Videos 

F-35 Lightning debuts at Red Flag

02/02/201716/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5996 Views 0 Comments F-35A Lightning II, JSF

Story by Micah Garbarino 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs After eight days “at war” the F-35A Lightning II is proving

Read more
A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail and C-130J Hercules on the flightline at Nellis Air Force Base. Photo by Eamon Hamilton.
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force 

RAAF takes command with F-35 and Growler at Red Flag

30/01/201730/01/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6546 Views 0 Comments C-130J Hercules, E-7A Wedgetail, EA-18G Growler, F-35A Lightning II

Royal Australian Air Force personnel have deployed to Nevada for Exercise Red Flag 17-1, where they will train in the

Read more
News Overseas Science & Technology 

200th F-35 Lightning delivered

12/01/201713/01/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5332 Views 0 Comments F-35 Lightning, Joint Strike Fighter, JSF

The first F-35 Lightning delivery of 2017 was also the 200th overall delivery for the Joint Strike Fighter program and, highlighting the

Read more
A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A flies in formation with a US Air Force F-35 during trial flights from Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix Arizona. Lockheed Martin photo by Matthew Short (digitally altered (removed F-16) by CONTACT)
Australian miscellaneous News Science & Technology 

Australia scoops major F-35 component maintenance/repair win

08/11/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6233 Views 0 Comments F-35 maintenance

Australia has been chosen to provide maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade for components of the Joint Strike Fighter in the

Read more
U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Madelyn Brown
News Overseas Science & Technology USA 

USAF declares F-35A Lightning II – ‘combat ready’

04/08/201616/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5571 Views 1 Comment F-35 Lightening

The F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft was declared ‘combat ready’ on 3 August by Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander

Read more
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force 

Australia’s first F-35A squadron boss meets his steed

11/07/201611/07/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 9324 Views 0 Comments F-35 Lightening, F-35A

Australia’s first commanding officer of an F-35A Joint Strike Fighter squadron, Wing Commander Darren Clare, had his first opportunity to

Read more
Photo courtesy Lockheed Martin
Europe News Overseas Science & Technology USA 

F-35 arrives in UK for Royal International Air Tattoo

30/06/201616/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6210 Views 0 Comments F-35 Lightening, Joint Strike Fighter, RIAT, Royal International Tattoo

Aviation history is set to be made in the UK this summer when, in a major airshow ‘first’, the Lockheed

Read more
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force 

Two Aussies on F-35 international deployment

24/06/201611/07/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6575 Views 0 Comments F-35 Lightening, Joint Strike Fighter, JSF

Two Royal Australian Air Force members on posting to the Joint Strike Fighter Operational Test Team (JOTT) located at Edwards

Read more
File photo – Australian F-35 AU-1 at Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed Martin photo by Liz Kaszynski
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force Science & Technology 

F-35 program lauded by Defence

15/06/201615/06/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5925 Views 1 Comment F-35

“The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program exemplifies the thread of this year’s Defence and Industry Conference”. So said Deputy Secretary

Read more
Australia's third F-35A pilot Flight Lieutenant Edwin Borrman undertakes his first flight in in a F-35A aircraft.
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force Science & Technology 

Australia’s third F-35A pilot qualified

24/05/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5835 Views 0 Comments F-35A, Joint Strike Fighter

Australia’s third F-35A pilot Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT) Edwin Borrman, recently completed his qualifying flight in an F-35A aircraft at Luke

Read more
Europe News Overseas Science & Technology 

First Dutch F-35s fly home

24/05/201616/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5760 Views 0 Comments Dutch, F-35A, Holland, Netherlands

Holland’s first two F-35As have arrived for the first time at Leeuwarden Air Base in The Netherlands yesterday. Pilots Colonel Bert

Read more
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Photos of Royal Netherland's Air Force KDC-10 tanker and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter conducting aerial refueling tests above Mount Whitney, Owens Valley, and the Western Mojave Desert in Southern California, March 31, 2016. U.S. Air Force photo by Chris Okula
News Overseas Science & Technology 

Dutch tanker fuels Dutch F-35

09/04/201609/04/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5573 Views 0 Comments F-35

On April 4, the Royal Netherlands Air Force completed testing to receive certification to refuel F-35As with their KDC-10 tanker. 

Read more
Europe News Overseas Science & Technology 

F-35 Lightening completes first trans-Atlantic crossing

09/02/201616/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4877 Views 0 Comments AL-1, F-35, JSF

An Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) F-35A Lightning II aircraft completed the very first trans-Atlantic crossing for the type, arriving

Read more
Videos 

First Australian to fly the F-35A

15/11/2015 Posted by Brian Hartigan 3176 Views 0 Comments F-35, F-35A, JSF

Royal Australian Air Force pilot Squadron Leader Andrew Jackson made history at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on 18 March

Read more
Two F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters complete vertical landings aboard the USS Wasp (LHD-1). US Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Remington Hall
News Overseas Science & Technology USA 

US Marine Corps’ F-35B reached initial operational capability yesterday

01/08/201516/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4579 Views 0 Comments F-35, F-35B, Joint Strike Fighter

The US Marine Corps’ F-35B Lightning II reached initial operational capability yesterday with a squadron of 10 F-35Bs ready for world-wide

Read more
Royal Australian Air Force F-35A conducts a flypast at the 2025 ADFA Graduation Parade. Story by Hannah Donald.Photo by Thomas Lucraft.
ADF Australian Army News Royal Australian Air Force Royal Australian Navy 

Future leaders graduate from ADFA

19/12/202519/12/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 1012 Views 0 Comments ADFA, Governor-General of Australia

Marking the completion of three years of university study and joint military training, 330 third-year Trainee Officers took to the

Read more
An F-35A Lightning II from 77 Squadron takes off from RAAF Base Townsville, Queensland, during Exercise Black Dagger 25-2. Story by Flight Lieutenant Sharon Sebastian. Photos by Leading Aircraftwoman Nell Bradbury.
Australian Army News Royal Australian Air Force 

JTAC trainees take aim

28/11/202528/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 787 Views 0 Comments 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, Exercise Black Dagger, F-35A Lightning II, JTAC, No. 4 Squadron, No. 77 Squadron, PC-21, RAAF Townsville

Australia’s close air support capability was put to the test during Exercise Black Dagger 2025-2, which brought together air and

Read more
News Royal Australian Air Force 

RAAF salutes supporters

14/11/202516/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 696 Views 0 Comments RAAF Williamtown

RAAF Base Williamtown, 77 Squadron and 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU) have hosted a family day in recognition of the

Read more
Royal Australian Air Force Avionics Technicians, Leading Aircraftwoman Rosalia Frichot and Aircraftman Izaak Mazurek during Exercise Bushido Guardian 2025, Misawa Air Base, Japan. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Paris Rigney.
ADF People Japan News Royal Australian Air Force 

Avionic technicians living the dream in Japan

24/10/202526/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 1092 Views 0 Comments Exercise Bushido Guardian, F-35A Lightning II, Gap Year program, Japan, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, No. 3 Squadron

For two young RAAF avionic technicians, their decision to join the permanent air force after “dipping their toes” in the

Read more
  • ← Previous
  • Next →

Hours more reading…

OUR SUPPORTERS…