First full production F-35 delivered

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force has accepted into its fleet the first of a planned 1,763 production-model Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters.

Lockheed said the formal acceptance documents for the jet were signed Thursday at Lockheed F-35 final assembly plant in Fort Worth, Texas.

The aircraft, designated AF-7, was flown to Edwards Air Force Base in California for its flight testing program.

"This first aircraft is the beginning of the modernization of U.S. Air Force, Marine and Naval Air power and for our collation partners around the world," said Larry Lawson, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 program general manager. "The F-35 family of aircraft will bring an incredible increase in capability that our men and women defending us deserve.

"Today we begin to fulfill the vision of our government and international customers."

F-35s have completed more than 865 flights since flight-testing began in late 2006. In addition to AF-7, eight more production-model F-35s have rolled out and are being prepared for delivery.

Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least nine other countries.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.