A ceremony was held today at Lockheed Martin , commemorating the official roll out of the first two F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

“Today, we celebrate a milestone in the U.S.-Australia partnership, a partnership built on strength, friendship, and technological innovation,” said Frank Kendall, U.S. Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics. “We join Australia, as one of our original partners, to celebrate this roll out and the numerous Australian contributions to the Joint Strike Fighter program.  For both our nations, this program represents an exponential leap in capability on the cutting edge of technology -- and an integral component of our ongoing joint commitment to stability and peace in the Asia-Pacific.”