‘Frankenjet': This F-35A Lightning II made from two damaged aircraft just returned to Utah's Air Force base
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (ABC4) — The F-35A Lightning II, also known as 'Frankenjet' due to its construction from two separate, damaged aircraft, has returned home to Utah's Hill Air Force Base.
Frankenjet is one of its kind — piecing together an AF-211 that was damaged in a nose-gear collapse at Hill AFB in 2020 and an AF-27 that was damaged in an engine fire at Florida's Eglin AFB in 2014.
And the Frankenjet is fully operational, now back at the Air Force's largest combat-coded F-35A wing at Hill Air Force Base.
'The Frankenjet is back,' Hill Air Force Base's 388th Fighter Wing posted on Instagram. 'After completing final maintenance in Fort Worth, Texas, this one-of-a-kind jet is now back where it belongs.'
Minecraft 'Chicken Jockey' trend hits Utah theaters, movie-goer kicked out after bringing live chicken
The project was a joint effort by the F-35 Joint Program Office, Ogden Air Logistics Complex, and 388th Fighter Wing and Lockheed Martin, requiring unique tooling and equipment to merge the two aircraft. The construction was originally done at Ogden Air Logistics before it was brought back to Hill AFB.
Their work is considered to be pioneering for potential aircraft battle damage repair. The assigned team rebuilt the cockpit, rewired the aircraft, re-installed landing gear with the proper center of gravity, among other tasks that aren't typically seen in flight line maintenance shops, according to the 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office.
'When we received the aircraft, it was pretty much a shell,' said Senior Airman Jaguar Arnold, the aircraft's crew chief from the 4th Fighter Generation Squadron, where the aircraft was hangared in 2024. 'There were a lot of tasks to complete that we hadn't done before at the unit level.'
'When we took responsibility for this project, we were taking on something unprecedented at the field level and it wasn't easy. That can't be overstated.' said 1st Lt. Ryan Bare, Sortie Generation Flight commander for the 4th FGS. 'But, we were also taking on an opportunity for our maintainers to gain proficiency in this type of work and build experience at the unit level. As a program, and as a unit, we've benefited greatly from this.'
The Airmen involved worked on so many first-time tasks that the information will be used to update data used by all F-35 maintainers for installing and inspecting new components. As for this project, the effort saved a reported $63 million, with the project costing $11.7 million — while a new F-35A costs more than $80 million.
Now operational with combat status, the Frankenjet will be flown by Utah's 4th Fighter Squadron.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
First Glimpse Of Air Force's New Stealth Nuclear Cruise Missile
After years of development, we have gotten our first look at what the USAF's new AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) nuclear-armed cruise missile could actually look like. The program is a top priority for the Air Force and its Global Strike Command. LRSO is set to replace America's only nuclear-armed cruise missile in operation today, the AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), which has served since the twilight of the Cold War. The AGM-86B missile has even remained in service long after the more advanced and stealthy AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM) was retired after just over two decades of service (1990-2012). You can read all about the AGM-129 and the AGM-86B in this past feature. Most notably from this first unclassified render, the LRSO features an inverted tail very similar to the conventionally-armed AGM-158 JASSM stealthy air-launched cruise missile. The AGM-129 featured a similar arrangement, although with a differently shaped vertical tail. The missile looks like it has a trapezoidal fuselage cross-section design with a wedge-like nose. The wing design is also similar to JASSM. We see no air inlet in the concept rendering, which could be for security reasons, considering the inlet design is often a closely guarded feature on stealthy flying machines, or it could be located on the top of the missile. We also can't say with any certainty how accurate this official rendering is of the actual design, but it is a given that some features will be omitted or even misleading for an initial public release. The airborne leg is already the most flexible of America's nuclear triad. Bombers can be positioned anywhere around the globe, both in the air and forward deployed on the ground. They can also be rapidly recalled as needed, signalling de-escalation. This is a critical tool for strategic messaging that could potentially avert a nuclear holocaust. The nuclear-armed cruise missile component of this capability allows for standoff attacks that present a real challenge for traditional air defenses and cannot be readily identified by ballistic missile-focused early warning architectures. So, as a result, in this new age of so-called 'great power competition,' with the AGM-129 already retired from service and the AGM-86B growing very old and becoming questionably survivable, a new, more capable and resilient long-range nuclear-tipped cruise missile was deemed necessary. This became the AGM-181A LRSO. This new weapon system, built by Raytheon, will be carried by both the new B-21 Raider and the venerable B-52 Stratofortress. The B-52 is also set to be deeply upgraded, overall, as you can learn more about here. Otherwise, little is known about the LRSO's capabilities as the program remains highly classified in many respects. Still, one can expect a subsonic missile with greater range than its predecessors that features a very tough-to-detect and track airframe and engine combination. Strict emissions control and the ability to navigate in any environment, including one where access to GPS is degraded or denied, and dense electronic warfare is the norm, will be critical. Autonomously reacting to threats in its area to better ensure its best path to its target will also likely be a feature. Combined, these elements will offer the missile and its launch platform more employment options and far greater survivability, especially as very long-range integrated air defenses mature at a rapid pace. LRSO has been in secretive flight testing for years now, and it will feature the updated W80-4 thermonuclear warhead. The weapon is also part of the larger Long Range Strike family of systems, which includes the B-21 as its centerpiece, as well as new command and control, space-based support assets, weapons, communications, and other technologies, possibly including classified fixed-wing companion aircraft. These capabilities will work to become something greater than the sum of their parts in order to achieve success in a future combat environment that will be far more threatening than any in the past. When it comes to the price tag, as we noted in a previous report from 2023: 'The Pentagon acquisition report does peg the estimated LRSO program acquisition cost, as of December 2022 and based on the expected purchase of 1,020 missiles in total, at just over $16 billion. Sustaining the missiles over a 30-year lifespan is expected to cost another $7 billion or so.' More current estimates put the cost of LRSO at around $14M each. Previous plans to make a conventionally-armed variant of the LRSO seem to have been dropped, with further extrapolations of the popular AGM-158 JASSM series of air-launched stealthy cruise missiles filling that role. If this first rendering is any indication, LRSO has moved well forward in its development, and we are likely to hear more about it and finally see it in full in the not-too-distant future. The missile has been expected to begin entering operational service toward the end of the decade. Then again, few programs are safe just yet as this new administration looks to manifest its priorities in its first defense budget, which we should be seeing in full any time now. Contact the author: Tyler@
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Hard to let her go;' Military dog retires, reunites with handler of 3 years
Military members at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base got together to wish a four-legged friend a happy retirement. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] After eight years of service, several deployments, 86 secret service missions, and over 3,000 hours of anti-terrorism measures, Misha finally gets to rest. 'She's ready to go on the couch now,' Senior Airman Henry Vernon said. Vernon was Misha's last handler. 'I feel at home with her. She felt like a very good partner,' Vernon said. In the short few months they worked together, they traveled all the way to India. TRENDING STORIES: 'Flamingo felons' arrested after statue stolen for second time Hole in the road causes lane closures on overpass above busy interstate Kettering Health Cyberattack: Network back to normal operations 'Taking her from mission to mission or being deployed, it was pretty heavy taking care of her, but we got through it,' Vernon said. He said it's hard to let her go, but he knows she's in good hands. 'I am Misha's previous handler of three years. I've just recently got out of active duty service, and I'm going to be taking Misha home after the ceremony today,' Kyle Runk said. Runk has many memories with Misha. 'Going out to the Caterpillar factory during bomb threats and protecting a school from a bomb threat as well. Seeing how these dogs work and how they're 'man's best friend,' as they say,' he said. But being by her side after retirement might be his most exciting mission with Misha yet. 'She's been around and done a lot of things for the Air Force and the community around her. Well-deserved retirement then for sure,' Runk said. Runk said that the transition for Misha will be a breeze because apparently she's always loved kicking back on the couch and playing with her toys. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Coast Guard searching for missing fishing vessel off Cape Cod
The Coast Guard is searching for a missing fishing vessel last seen off Cape Cod. The F/V Seahorse, a white 30-foot fishing vessel, is two days overdue and was last known to be fishing near the Target Ship Wreck near Eastham. The Coast Guard says a cell phone ping last placed the ship two miles offshore of Chatham. The vessel is captained by Shawn Arsenault. Anyone with information regarding the vessel is asked the Southeastern New England command center at (866) 819-9128. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
