Maj. Robert Miller, a test pilot assigned to Edwards AFB, Calif., became the 100th pilot to fly the F-35 strike fighter after going through training at the F-35 schoolhouse at Eglin AFB, Fla., announced F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin. “The jet handles well and is very easy to fly. I’m looking forward to testing the combat capabilities of the F-35 over the next few years at Edwards,” said Miller in the company’s July 11 release. Miller is an 11-year airman with more than 1,300 flight hours in the F-16, according to the release. “[Miller’s flight] is significant because it shows the program is maturing rapidly and highlights the successful implementation of a world-class training program and development of the F-35 Lightning II for the combat air forces,” said Col. Todd Canterbury, commander of Eglin’s 33rd Fighter Wing.
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military officers of the three nations…