301st Fighter Wing Receives First Pair of F-35A Lightning II Jets | Aviation

The unit becomes only the second Air Force Reserve F-35 unit, but it is also the first Reserve unit to operate the fifth-generation fighter without being associated to an active unit.

On Aug. 8, 2024, the 301st Fighter Wing, based out of NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas, received its first pair of F-35A fighters to replace the F-16C/Ds that previously operated at the base. Interestingly, the two jets sported the tail flash “HL” of Hill AFB, Utah, with official captions of the photo mentioning that the aircraft are assigned there.

According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, a spokesperson for the 301st FW confirmed that the aircraft are actually on loan to the unit, as their own F-35s, initially expected this summer, will be delivered in November. “These brand new jets have not been to Hill yet, but they will eventually head there,” said the spokesperson. “We’re temporarily using these fighters until then.”

Coincidentally, Hill AFB is home to the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s only other F-35A unit, the 419th Fighter Wing. The 419th is an associate unit of the active duty 388th Fighter Wing. The new mission makes NAS JRB Fort Worth the Air Force Reserve’s first standalone F-35A unit. The Wing will receive a total of 26 airplanes by 2026.

The Wing’s newest…