Florida Guard Prepares to Welcome F-35 with Pilot Training, Maintenance Upgrades

The Florida Air National Guard’s 125th Fighter Wing is inching closer to a fully stealth fleet after years of training to fly the F-35.

Many of the pilots at Jacksonville Air National Guard Base who previously flew the F-15C Eagle have been certified to operate the F-35 Lightning II or are in the process of doing so, 125th Fighter Wing spokesperson Maj. Cammy Alberts told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

The wing is one of multiple Air Force units that are trading in older airframes for more-advanced jets designed to withstand modern threats and reach into enemy territory undetected. The F-15C first entered the Air Force inventory in 1979.

The jets will serve as the “primary aircraft securing the southeastern U.S.,” with a greater focus on finding targets on the ground, according to the wing.

“We are well into the training pipeline,” Alberts said. “Full certification across the force remains ongoing.”

The wing is also constructing a simulator building so pilots can train realistically against current threats like electronic jamming and anti-aircraft weapons, and modernizing its hangars to ensure the infrastructure can accommodate the F-35’s stealth coating.

Transitioning a Guard unit from legacy aircraft to F-35s usually takes longer than it does for active-duty units. Because Guard wings don’t rotate in new airmen who are already trained on a jet like active-duty units do, the 125th’s pilots, maintainers, and logisticians have undertaken extensive preparation for a fifth-generation fighter fleet. Pilot training began in 2021, a year after the base was selected to receive the stealth aircraft.

“Our focus has been on training and converting our current personnel to support the F-35 mission,” Alberts said, adding that the unit is also “actively recruiting into critical career fields” for F-35 maintenance, operations support, and avionics to ensure long-term mission success.

The Air Force plans to house 20 F-35As at the Guard unit, including two held in backup inventory. The first three jets arrived at the base in March. The 125th, which operates a single fighter squadron, is expected to train 20 to 30 pilots for the 18 primary aircraft. Alberts declined to provide a timeline for the remaining deliveries, citing operational security concerns, but said the aircraft are “arriving on a scheduled, phased basis.”

The arrival of the F-35s this year brought significant changes to the wing’s logistical demands. The 125th Logistics Readiness Squadron stocked over 8,000 F-35 components on base to reduce reliance on manufacturer shipments and shorten maintenance delays. The squadron also streamlined inventory systems, upgraded infrastructure to accommodate the larger F-35, and drew on experience from other Lightning II units to ensure swift repairs.

“If maintenance needs to order it, supply can deliver it within minutes,” Master Sgt. Matthew Cole, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the 125th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s transportation management office, said in a release.

The last of Jacksonville’s F-15s departed at the end of 2024. Some were retired and put into storage in Arizona; others headed to other Air Force units.

As part of the transition, more than 15,000 F-15 components were redistributed to other units that still fly the F-15 or transferred to Air Force supply depots for storage.

“Our goal is to ensure all personnel are proficient in supply and logistics systems to support the new airframe,” said Chief Master Sgt. Kylie Walker, the senior enlisted leader of the 125th LRS. “We aim to cultivate an environment of continuous learning and improvement to stay ahead of technological advancements and operational requirements.”

A core group of maintenance personnel and logistics airmen started their own classes shortly after pilot training began to master the F-35’s specific systems and procedures. Those maintainers then returned to the 125th FW to teach others on the job.

Most of the wing’s major construction projects in support of the new airframe began in 2023. In 2024, Jacksonville International Airport’s M-1 taxiway was widened to accommodate the new F-35 jets. Work is also underway on a new facility where maintainers can practice loading and unloading weapons in any weather. Smaller projects are also underway to create storage for practice munitions like the inert GBU-12 bombs and dummy AIM-120 missiles.

The Pentagon is equipping five Air National Guard units with the F-35A, including Wisconsin’s 115th Fighter Wing, Alabama’s 187th Fighter Wing, Massachusetts’ 104th Fighter Wing, and Vermont’s 158th Fighter Wing. Vermont was the first in the Air National Guard to receive the F-35 in 2019.