The fighter is built by Lockheed Martin and will be known as the Lightning II.

BBC: RAF Marham base for Joint Strike Fighter

This week the government announced that the new strike aircraft Lightning II would be based at RAF Marham.

BBC: Downham Market residents salute RAF Marham Tornado crews

"The transition to Lightning II from the Tornado will take place over the remaining decade, " Mr Hammond said.

BBC: RAF Marham base for Joint Strike Fighter

Mr Hammond said that the Lightning II squadron based at RAF Marham would be a joint RAF and Royal Navy force and the station would be responsible for support and maintenance of both land-based and aircraft carrier planes.

BBC: RAF Marham base for Joint Strike Fighter

We are taking a closer look at the F-35 fighter jet at Lockheed Martin's Fighter Demonstration Center just outside our nation's capital, but, being in the middle of a corporate complex, there's no actual Lightning II on hand.

ENGADGET: Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter cockpit demonstrator hands-on (video)

While Texas is a right-to-work state, many of the highest paying jobs in the Dallas area are with unionized defense manufacturers like Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin, which produces the F-35 Lightning II fighter at a mile-long plant in Fort Worth.

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The operation, Lightning Hammer II, is an extension of an earlier operation in Diyala province.

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