UK details operational conversion unit plan for F-35

The UK’s future operational conversion unit for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is expected to begin providing training using five of the stealthy aircraft.
Five F-35Bs will be used to deliver in-country OCU services from July 2019. The unit will be located at the RAF Marham.
Pilot conversion training for the UK F-35 force will be until that point delivered in the USA, in co-operation with a US Marine Corps squadron.
Three F-35Bs have been delivered so far for the UK’s IOT&E involvement, with a fourth to follow. Funding was approved late last year for the nation’s first 14 operational examples. Four of these are now on order, which the MoD says should be accepted between May and October 2016.
flightglobal