Watch Australia’s F-35A Joint Strike Fighter Take Its Maiden Flight


What’s more surprising? That Australia bought loads of super-expensive jets, or that the jets we bought were actually able to be delivered and flown without something going wrong on them? Either way, Australia’s first F-35 jet was delivered this week, and it managed to get off the ground to film this awesome video.

The Joint Strike Fighter platform was co-funded by a whole mess of nations around the world as the next-generation of warplane, but issues plagued the development phase. As a result, the cost has blown out by billions and the delays are massive.

Australia is getting 72 of the planes at a cost of $12 billion, and this is the first: F35-001.

Honestly, for all the nonsense around the JSF project both here and abroad, it’s awesome seeing this thing up in the air.


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