RAF Lakenheath welcomes first US F-35A Lightning II aircraft

An RAF base in Suffolk has received the first of its new F-35 fighter jets.

RAF Lakenheath, in Brandon, took delivery of an F-35A Lightning II aircraft on Wednesday.

The plane, described as "a high-performance, multirole fighter" will belong to the 495th Fighter Squadron and is the first of 24 due to be delivered.

The United States Air Force (USAF) said Lakenheath was the first base in Europe to receive the jets.

In a statement, USAF said: "The F-35A is an agile, versatile, high-performance, 9g-capable [where gravity is nine times higher than normal] multirole fighter that combines stealth, sensor fusion and unprecedented situational awareness."

RAF Lakenheath is owned by the Ministry of Defence and leased to USAF.

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