Aircraft
UK Accepts F-35 as New Nations Commit to Production 
The UK formally accepted the first F-35 Lightning II for an international customer on July 19.
British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond formally accepted the first F-35B for the UK in a ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility on July 19. (Photo: UK Crown Copyright)
British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond formally accepted the first F-35B for the UK in a ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility on July 19. (Photo: UK Crown Copyright)

The UK formally accepted the first F-35 Lightning II for an international customer on July 19. “Having taken decisions on the final designs of our new aircraft carriers and balanced the MoD’s budget we can now proceed confidently to regenerating our carrier strike capability with these cutting-edge stealth combat aircraft,” said British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond.