Date: Issue 59 - March 2015
The first Italian F-35A Lightning II rolled out of the Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility on 12th March. This production milestone marks the first F-35A assembled internationally and the first of eight aircraft currently being assembled at Cameri. The aircraft, designated as AL-1, will now proceed to additional check-out activities before its anticipated first flight later this year.
The rollout exhibits the ongoing strong partnership between the Italian Ministry of Defense, industry partner Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi, and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT). The Italian FACO is owned by the Italian Ministry of Defense and is operated by Alenia Aermacchi in conjunction with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics with a current workforce of more than 750 skilled personnel engaged in F-35 aircraft and wing production.