First F-35 flight outside the U.S. to take place with Italian aircraft

The first F-35 flight outside the U.S. will take place in October when Italy’s first F-35 begins test flights after rolling off the country’s final assembly line, my Defense News colleague Tom Kington writes.

More from Tom’s article:

“After entering service with the Italian Air Force, the aircraft, AL-1, will then fly across the Atlantic in the first quarter of 2016, probably via the UK and Iceland, to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where Italian pilots will train, said Debra Palmer, the Lockheed executive leading F-35 work in Italy.

Full article by Tom Kington is here:

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/show-daily/paris-air-show/2015/06/14/italy-f35-flight-outside-us-assembly-line-lockheed-air-force-pilot-training/71037536/