First F-35A Wearing Iconic Wild Weasel Tail Flash Breaks Cover On First Flight

First F-35A Wearing Iconic Wild Weasel Tail Flash Breaks Cover On First Flight

The F-35 wearing the tail code “WW” will join Misawa’s 35th Fighter Wing and fly the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) mission from Japan. On June 16, 2026, the F-35A Lightning II aircraft 24-5970 made its first flight from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The jet departed around 2PM local time and returned roughly an hour later for a straight in approach to a full stop, accompanied by an ATAC F-1 chase.  The aircraft, des…