The Navy officially stood up Strike Fighter Squadron 101 during a ceremony at the joint F-35 training schoolhouse at Eglin AFB, Fla. The reconstituted unit, known as the “Grim Reapers,” will be responsible for training Navy F-35C pilots and maintainers, according to an Oct. 2 release from the F-35 program office. “Our Navy needs aircraft capable of overcoming a variety of threats—surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles, and tactical aircraft,” said Vice Adm. David Buss, Naval Air Forces commander, during the Oct. 1 event. “The F-35C brings stealth capability to the ultimate sea base—the flight deck of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier—for the first time in our history,” he said. The squadron, designated VFA-101, received its first F-35C in June. The Navy expects to commence real-world operations with F-35Cs in 2019. “The F-35C will enhance the flexibility, power projection, and rapid response of carrier air wings and joint task forces for decades to come,” said Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 general manager, in the company’s release.
The second version of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft should have more capability than the first but mustn't be an "exquisite" and expensive platform that would defeat the notion of "affordable mass," outgoing Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said.