Photo By Senior Airman Delanie Brown | U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft from the 495th Fighter Squadron, taxis to...... read more read more
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AMENDOLA AIR BASE, Italy - The 495th Fighter Squadron and 495th Fighter Generation Squadron participated in multinational Exercise Falcon Strike at Amendola AB, Italy, November 3-14.
Hosted by Italy’s 32nd Wing, the exercise bolstered integrated operations between Joint Strike Fighter partner nations Italy, France, Greece, and the United Kingdom.
“Falcon Strike represents the Italian Air Force’s most important training event for 2025,” said Aeronautica Militare Capt. Salvatore Erriquez, 32nd Wing Sezione Informazioni operative. “Over 1,000 military personnel and over 50 assets from Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Greece trained side by side to improve operational readiness and the ability to cooperate in multinational missions.”
The JSF program allows partner nations to operate on the same platform for fighter operations, replacing multiple different aircraft types, while allowing versatility of operations through the F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C models.
This year’s exercise focused on integrating F-35 operations between participants, as well as integrating 4th and 5th generation aircraft into combined air and missile defense.
The exercise brought together F-35 aircraft from air and naval aviation elements from participating nations, including carrier operations, highlighting the versatility of the JSF to execute a variety of mission sets. Through cross-servicing jets from other nations and services, participants broadened their skillsets to maintain the readiness to service a combined force.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Gregory Schroeder, 495th FS commander, shared the importance of supporting partner nations and conducting operations from friendly nations.
“Multiple partners operating the F-35 gives us a common knowledge of how each other's aircraft, systems, and software work,” said Schroeder. “Our troops can take on an Italian F-35 and do the required servicing to get the aircraft back in the fight again.”
JSF partner nations also participated in cross-maintenance training, joint aerial operations, and 4th-generation fighter integration to increase cooperation in operations, maintenance, and logistics.
With JSF nations planning to have 500 F-35 aircraft in Europe by 2030, with only 50 being American aircraft, exercises like Falcon Strike are essential to integrate tactics and develop dynamic common operating pictures.
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.11.2025 05:51 |
| Story ID: | 553844 |
| Location: | AMENDOLA AIR BASE, IT |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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