U.S. Air Force personnel performed their first crew swap, using F-35A Lightning II fighter planes, this week at Hill AFB, Utah, the Air Force announced.

In the training exercise, a pilot takes off, completes his mission, lands and takes on fuel while another pilot and crew take over the cockpit of the same plane.

The action reduces maintenance time and allows the plane to quickly become airborne and in use again. In wartime, it can increase combat flexibility, as the aircraft quickly returns to service.

"During home-station flying, rapid crew swaps will allow for more sorties in a condensed period of time, which will become increasingly important as three full squadrons begin flying here," Maj. Caleb Guthmann, F-35 pilot and 388th Fighter Wing director of staff, said in a press release.

The exercise is one of several practiced by the Air Force to accelerate rapid return of planes to the air.

In March, the branch carried out its first rapid refueling, known as Fast Air Refueling Point, of an F-35A plane at Cannon AFB, N.M. An MC-130J refueling plane landed at the base, followed by an F-35A. Fuel lines were quickly set up, with fuel transferred to the F-35A before it took off again.

"Other aircraft like bombers, tankers, helicopters, and twin engine fighters have been doing 'hot crew swaps' for some time," said Col. Michael Miles, 388th Maintenance Group commander at Hill AFB. "Until now, it hasn't been safe to do with a single engine fighter, but the F-35's maintenance-friendly design provided Airmen here an opportunity to develop this capability."

Lockheed contracted for F-35 services for South Korea
Washington (UPI) Mar 20, 2019 - Lockheed Martin Corp. received a $264.6 million contract modification in support of South Korea's F-35 Lightning II program, the Defense Department announced.

The contract, announced on Tuesday, calls for operation and technical services, with work performed in the company's Fort Worth, Texas, facility and completed by June 2020.

South Korea's first two F-35s are expected to be delivered to the Republic of Korea Air Force at its Chongju Air Base by the end of March, and are expected to be deployed by May.

Ten will be delivered to the ROKAF by the end of 2019, part of a fleet of 40 F-35s ordered. All are expected to be delivered, at a total cost of $6.8 billion, by the end of 2021.

A ceremony in December involving South Korean officials at the Fort Worth facility received an angry reaction from North Korea.

"The South's war maniacs are indulging in a spending spree to buy F-35A Stealth jet fighters. This stems from an adventurous plot to stage a pre-emptive strike against us that goes along with U.S. attempts to start a war," the ruling Worker's Party news outlet, Rodong Sinmun, said.

South Korean pilots have been training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona since the spring of 2018.

Boeing awarded $326M for P-8A Poseidon upgrades
Washington (UPI) Mar 20, 2019 - The Defense Department awarded a $326 million contract to Boeing Co. for upgrades to the P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft.

The contract, announced on Tuesday, calls for development, integration and testing of Increment 3 Block 2 capabilities into the planes for the U.S. Navy and Australian government. The majority of the work will be performed at Boeing's Puget Sound, Wash., facility, and is expected to be completed by March 2024.

The Increment 3 Block 2 capabilities include wide-band satellite communications, new computing and security architecture, anti-surface warfare signal intelligence, combat system architecture improvements, and communication capability upgrades, according to the Navy.

The P-8A is the Navy's next-generation maritime surveillance aircraft. Able to carry torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, it is a modification of the Boeing 737-800ERX passenger plane and is fitted for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and shipping interdiction.

Boeing built its 100th P-8A in October 2018, but has several more on order for the United States and other nations.

In September 2018, South Korea purchased six of the aircraft, followed by a deal announced by the U.S. Navy in January for 10 of the aircraft for the United States, plus four more sold to British Royal Navy and five to the Royal Norwegian Navy.

A $428 million contract for long-lead material and activities to construct 16 more P-8A aircraft was announced at the beginning of March.

The navies of India and Australia also fly the Poseidon.

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Acting Pentagon chief Shanahan investigated over Boeing bias
Washington (AFP) March 20, 2019
Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is being investigated by the Pentagon's inspector general for alleged bias in acquisitions toward his former employer, Boeing, the inspector general said Wednesday. "We have informed him that we have initiated this investigation," said Dwrena Allen, a spokeswoman for the inspector generals' office. Investigators are seeking to see if Shanahan, as deputy defense secretary, had violated ethics rules by disparaging Boeing rival Lockheed Martin in meeting ... read more