The 62nd Fighter Squadron transitioned from the F-16 to the F-35A, becoming the second Lightning II pilot training squadron at Luke AFB, Ariz., in a ceremony there earlier this month, officials announced. “As we open this new chapter in our squadron’s history, we will focus our efforts on what we’ve been doing for three generations—training and delivering combat air power,” said incoming 62nd FS Commander Lt. Col. Gregory Frana during the June 5 transition ceremony. Luke stood-up the 61st FS as the first of six F-35 training squadrons in October 2013. The 62nd FS will begin receiving F-35s next month, and will eventually host US, Italian, and Norwegian conversion training. Luke bid farewell to 308th FS F-16s earlier this month when it inactivated to remerge as the 314th FS at Holloman AFB, N.M. Luke will eventually host a total of 144 strike fighters.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.