Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Latest:
  • Finding meaning in the war we lost
  • What can the RAAC look forward to?
  • Wooden skirt and other distracting bits
  • 25 years since Aussies answered the call in Afghanistan
  • Higher recognition but no medal for RCB vets

CONTACT magazine

Australia's best free military news site

  • NEWS
  • Poetry
  • Podcasts
  • Fitness
  • Videos
  • Archives
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Write to us
CONTACT magazine
A USMC F35B performs a fly past of crowds at RAF Fairdord on Friday 8th July 2016 during the Royal International Air Tattoo. Crown Copyright 2016. Photo by SAC Tim Laurence.
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force Science & Technology 

It’s official – Australia’s own F-35A at Avalon

07/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 7186 Views 0 Comments F-35A Lightning II, Joint Strike Fighter

Minister for Defence Marise Payne and Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne today announced that both of Australia’s F-35A Joint Strike Fighters

Read more
An Aussie and three US F-35A Lightning IIs on a training sortie near Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Lockheed Martin photo
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force Science & Technology 

Next 8 Aussie F-35s ordered – at new ‘low’ price

04/02/201704/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6813 Views 0 Comments F-35 Lightning, Joint Strike Fighter, JSF

The next batch of F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters – including eight for Australia – has been ordered, at

Read more
News Overseas USA Videos 

F-35 Lightning debuts at Red Flag

02/02/201716/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6499 Views 0 Comments F-35A Lightning II, JSF

Story by Micah Garbarino 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs After eight days “at war” the F-35A Lightning II is proving

Read more
A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail and C-130J Hercules on the flightline at Nellis Air Force Base. Photo by Eamon Hamilton.
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force 

RAAF takes command with F-35 and Growler at Red Flag

30/01/201730/01/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6871 Views 0 Comments C-130J Hercules, E-7A Wedgetail, EA-18G Growler, F-35A Lightning II

Royal Australian Air Force personnel have deployed to Nevada for Exercise Red Flag 17-1, where they will train in the

Read more
News Overseas Science & Technology 

200th F-35 Lightning delivered

12/01/201713/01/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5674 Views 0 Comments F-35 Lightning, Joint Strike Fighter, JSF

The first F-35 Lightning delivery of 2017 was also the 200th overall delivery for the Joint Strike Fighter program and, highlighting the

Read more
A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A flies in formation with a US Air Force F-35 during trial flights from Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix Arizona. Lockheed Martin photo by Matthew Short (digitally altered (removed F-16) by CONTACT)
Australian miscellaneous News Science & Technology 

Australia scoops major F-35 component maintenance/repair win

08/11/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6605 Views 0 Comments F-35 maintenance

Australia has been chosen to provide maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade for components of the Joint Strike Fighter in the

Read more
U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Madelyn Brown
News Overseas Science & Technology USA 

USAF declares F-35A Lightning II – ‘combat ready’

04/08/201616/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5946 Views 1 Comment F-35 Lightening

The F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft was declared ‘combat ready’ on 3 August by Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander

Read more
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force 

Australia’s first F-35A squadron boss meets his steed

11/07/201611/07/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 9633 Views 0 Comments F-35 Lightening, F-35A

Australia’s first commanding officer of an F-35A Joint Strike Fighter squadron, Wing Commander Darren Clare, had his first opportunity to

Read more
Photo courtesy Lockheed Martin
Europe News Overseas Science & Technology USA 

F-35 arrives in UK for Royal International Air Tattoo

30/06/201616/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6551 Views 0 Comments F-35 Lightening, Joint Strike Fighter, RIAT, Royal International Tattoo

Aviation history is set to be made in the UK this summer when, in a major airshow ‘first’, the Lockheed

Read more
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force 

Two Aussies on F-35 international deployment

24/06/201611/07/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6847 Views 0 Comments F-35 Lightening, Joint Strike Fighter, JSF

Two Royal Australian Air Force members on posting to the Joint Strike Fighter Operational Test Team (JOTT) located at Edwards

Read more
File photo – Australian F-35 AU-1 at Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed Martin photo by Liz Kaszynski
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force Science & Technology 

F-35 program lauded by Defence

15/06/201615/06/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6385 Views 1 Comment F-35

“The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program exemplifies the thread of this year’s Defence and Industry Conference”. So said Deputy Secretary

Read more
Australia's third F-35A pilot Flight Lieutenant Edwin Borrman undertakes his first flight in in a F-35A aircraft.
Australian News Royal Australian Air Force Science & Technology 

Australia’s third F-35A pilot qualified

24/05/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6116 Views 0 Comments F-35A, Joint Strike Fighter

Australia’s third F-35A pilot Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT) Edwin Borrman, recently completed his qualifying flight in an F-35A aircraft at Luke

Read more
Europe News Overseas Science & Technology 

First Dutch F-35s fly home

24/05/201616/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6106 Views 0 Comments Dutch, F-35A, Holland, Netherlands

Holland’s first two F-35As have arrived for the first time at Leeuwarden Air Base in The Netherlands yesterday. Pilots Colonel Bert

Read more
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Photos of Royal Netherland's Air Force KDC-10 tanker and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter conducting aerial refueling tests above Mount Whitney, Owens Valley, and the Western Mojave Desert in Southern California, March 31, 2016. U.S. Air Force photo by Chris Okula
News Overseas Science & Technology 

Dutch tanker fuels Dutch F-35

09/04/201609/04/2016 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5861 Views 0 Comments F-35

On April 4, the Royal Netherlands Air Force completed testing to receive certification to refuel F-35As with their KDC-10 tanker. 

Read more
Europe News Overseas Science & Technology 

F-35 Lightening completes first trans-Atlantic crossing

09/02/201616/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5272 Views 0 Comments AL-1, F-35, JSF

An Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) F-35A Lightning II aircraft completed the very first trans-Atlantic crossing for the type, arriving

Read more
Videos 

First Australian to fly the F-35A

15/11/2015 Posted by Brian Hartigan 3420 Views 0 Comments F-35, F-35A, JSF

Royal Australian Air Force pilot Squadron Leader Andrew Jackson made history at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on 18 March

Read more
Two F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters complete vertical landings aboard the USS Wasp (LHD-1). US Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Remington Hall
News Overseas Science & Technology USA 

US Marine Corps’ F-35B reached initial operational capability yesterday

01/08/201516/02/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4887 Views 0 Comments F-35, F-35B, Joint Strike Fighter

The US Marine Corps’ F-35B Lightning II reached initial operational capability yesterday with a squadron of 10 F-35Bs ready for world-wide

Read more
One of the first two Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning Joint Strike Fighters flies overhead RAAF Base Williamtown on delivery day. Photo by Brian Hartigan.
News Royal Australian Air Force 

Perth gets 2027 RAAF Air Show

01/10/202601/10/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 604 Views 0 Comments

For the first time in 15 years, the Royal Australian Air Force Air Show will return to the skies above

Read more
Two RAAF F-35A Lightning II jets conduct an air interception alongside a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon over New Zealand's North Island east coast during Exercise Agile Tasman. Photo by Corporal Naomi James.
New Zealand News Royal Australian Air Force 

Aussie Lightning strikes New Zealand

25/09/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 8917 Views 0 Comments

Exercise Agile Tasman took place in Ohakea, NZ, from September 7 to 10, and included the first landing of an

Read more
A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II performs an aerial display during the RAAF School of Technical Training visit day, at RAAF Base Wagga, NSW. Photo by Leading Aircraftman Jakob Reid.
News Royal Australian Air Force 

Tech trainees visited by future platforms

10/09/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 552 Views 0 Comments

More than 690 technical trainees got a firsthand look at where their skills could take them when operational units from

Read more
  • ← Previous
  • Next →

Hours more reading…

OUR SUPPORTERS…




About CONTACT

Contact is an independent veteran owned and operated Australian publishing house that curates this web site and a weekly newsletter – available by subscribing (free) via Patreon.

 

 

CONTACT Air Land & Sea plus COMBAT Camera magazines were past publications of this business. Digital copies of both magazines can be viewed or downloaded via our Archives (see menus).

Main Menu

  • NEWS
  • Poetry
  • Podcasts
  • Fitness
  • Videos
  • Archives
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Write to us

Admin Menu

  • Write to us
  • Sponsored Posts
  • About Us
  • Our Privacy Policy
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • MUSEUM OF ARROGANT HUBRIS
©Copyright Contact Publishing