News & Events
-
Press Releases
- 2013 Press Releases
- 2012 Press Releases
- Lockheed Martin UK Builds Manufacturing Knowledge and Excitement for Local Students at its Ampthill Site
- Lockheed Martin Appoints John Neilson to Lead Communications for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)
- United Kingdom Accepts First International Lockheed Martin F-35
- British F-35B and the first international Lockheed Martin Lightning II takes off from Naval Air Station Fort Worth
- Robert Kramer named Vice President and General Manager for Lockheed Martin UK Integrated Systems
- Second UK F-35B ferried to Eglin AFB, Florida
- Lockheed Martin UK Signs First Supplier Contracts on Warrior Upgrade Programme
- Warrior IFV Progress
- Lockheed Martin UK Builds Upon Growing Reputation for UK Government IT Work
- F-35A Achieves Maximum High Angle Of Attack Limit In Four Flights
- JAMES Technology Moves Further Forward into the Front Line
- F-35 Lightning II Programme Surpasses 5,000 Flight Hours
- New research partnership launched into quantum and nanotechnologies
- University partnership leads to improvement in protection for armoured vehicles
- Lockheed Martin and NASA de-orbit twin Grail spacecraft into the Moon
- 2011 Press Releases
- 2010 Press Releases
- 2009 Press Releases
- 2008 Press Releases
- 2007 Press Releases
- Signals Magazine
- Executive Speeches
United Kingdom’s First Lockheed Martin F-35 Makes Inaugural Flight
FORT WORTH, Texas, April 15, 2012 – BK-1, the United Kingdom’s first Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II production aircraft, flew its inaugural flight Friday. Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti took the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet through a series of functional flight checks during a sortie that lasted 45 minutes. The jet will complete a series of company and government checkout flights prior to its acceptance by the U.K. Ministry of Defence. The U.K. MOD will use this 5th Generation fighter for training and operational tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., beginning later this year.
"Not only is this a watershed moment for the Joint Strike Fighter program, since BK-1 is the first international F-35 to fly, but it also brings us one step closer to delivery of this essential 5th Generation capability for the U.K., " said Group Captain Harv Smyth, the Joint Strike Fighter U.K. National Deputy.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 123,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.
Lockheed Martin photos by Tom Harvey and David Drais
