500th Lockheed Martin F-35 delivered to the USAF as Florida’s 125th Fighter Wing joins the stealth jet club
August 24, 2025
The 125th Fighter Wing has received its first permanently assigned F-35A Lightning II, marking a major leap in the Florida Air National Guard’s shift to 5th-generation combat power. The delivery also advances the US Air Force’s nationwide drive to modernise and strengthen its air dominance.
The fighter jet, which is also the 500th F-35A delivered to the US Air Force, is the first of several new aircraft that will be based in Jacksonville as the Wing transitions from its recently retired fleet of F-15C/D Eagles. For now, the unit is flying a mix of its own F-35s and aircraft loaned from other Air National Guard wings to maintain full mission readiness during the transition.
“These F-35s, including the Air Force’s 500th, represent the cutting edge of modern airpower,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Pasko, Commander of the 159th Fighter Squadron. “Our Airmen are trained, equipped and ready to project combat power at a moment’s notice.”
The 4th Air National Guard to get the F-35 stealth fighter
With the arrival, the 125th Fighter Wing becomes only the fourth Air National Guard wing to operate the Lightning II, joining units in Vermont, Wisconsin and Alabama. It is also one of just nine Air Force units flying the aircraft, positioning the Florida-based wing as a key node in the Pentagon’s future force structure.
The F-35 brings a generational leap in capability over the fourth-generation jets it replaces, combining a stealth profile, advanced sensors and electronic warfare systems. The aircraft enhances the Wing’s round-the-clock homeland defence role along the southeastern US coastline while also boosting its ability to operate abroad under the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) model.
ACE trains units to deploy rapidly and operate flexibly across dispersed locations, complicating adversaries’ ability to predict or target US forces. The arrival of the F-35 directly supports this concept, ensuring the 125th Fighter Wing can respond quickly to emerging threats while maintaining persistent deterrence.
“Fielding 5th-generation aircraft in key regions like Florida gives our combatant commanders the reach, resilience and rapid response they need,” said Brig. Gen. Richard L. Coffey, commander of the Florida Air National Guard. “Jacksonville’s location and partnerships expand the Air Force’s options and keep our Airmen at the forefront of national defence.”
To prepare for the Lightning II, the base has completed extensive upgrades, including a new simulator complex, hangar modifications for low-observable maintenance, a climate-controlled weapons load facility, and taxiway improvements coordinated with Jacksonville Aviation Authority.
“Modern hardware and software demand modern skill sets,” said Col. Carl Guckenberger, commander of the 125th Maintenance Group. “Our Airmen have embraced the challenge, completing thousands of hours of formal training to keep these aircraft ready to launch, on time and on target.”
Challenges for the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet programme
The jet’s arrival comes amid continuing debate over the F-35 programme’s long-term value and reliability.
A series of technical issues and sustainment costs have drawn scrutiny in Washington, yet Air Force leaders remain committed to the platform. They argue that the Lightning II is essential to maintaining airpower advantage in the face of rapid Chinese and Russian military modernisation.
“We now operate in a world where the [People’s Republic of China] is not only rapidly modernising its military, but doing so with a clear intent to coerce its neighbours and reshape the international order,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin in testimony to Congress.
“The United States must maintain airpower dominance if we are to safeguard our security, deter aggression and prevail in conflict.”
The 125th Fighter Wing’s transition was formally approved in July 2021, with its first aircraft arriving in March 2025. Additional jets will be delivered in phases over the coming year, with full operational capability expected once the fleet is complete.
For Jacksonville and the Air National Guard as a whole, the Lightning II’s arrival represents far more than new aircraft on the ramp. It is a generational step-change in capability, readiness and reach — one that comes at a time when global threats demand nothing less.
