Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) marked a milestone in its support of the F-35B Lightning II aircraft when it successfully completed verification of the laser shock peening process and returned the first aircraft to undergo the procedure to the fleet.
Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) marked a milestone in its support of the F-35 Lightning II program when the depot inducted its 100th F-35 for modifications June 11.
The induction signifies more than just a number – it represents eight years of efforts to stand up and grow the F-35 modification line at the depot, said FRCE Commanding Officer Col. Thomas A. Atkinson.
Aircraft maintenance professionals with Fleet Readiness Center East’s F-35 Rapid Response Team play a critical role in keeping the Marine Corps’ F-35B Lightning II fleet healthy.
In support of this goal, FRCE’s F-35 Rapid Response Team (RRT) recently conducted simultaneous deployments to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, and aboard the USS Makin Island, underway in the Arabian Sea. RRT maintainers inspected and repaired 12 F-35B aircraft, all in under 40 days – including travel, precautionary restriction of movement and workdays.
Fleet Readiness Center East recently accepted delivery of an F-35 airframe transported by barge from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, to FRCE facilities aboard MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina.
Working together with the F-35 Joint Program Office, FRCE received approval to accept the stripped down airframe for use in maintenance training and engineering testing, which will allow for the development of improved tooling, maintenance procedures and sustainment practices.
Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David H. Berger and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Troy E. Black visited Fleet Readiness Center East March 15 to receive updates regarding the support FRCE provides to Marine Corps aviation and the facility’s current status of operations.
Berger and Black toured the facility with FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. Mark E. Nieto and Executive Director Mark Meno. The itinerary focused on the V-22 Osprey, F-35 Lightning II and future plans for F-35 maintenance and capabilities at FRCE.
A container marked “PAX Flight Deck Gear CAVOUR DET 2021,” tri-wall boxes for the work centers, shipping containers with massive aircraft air & power units, engine trailers, and other aircraft support equipment (SE) were craned aboard, forklifted through the hangar, and positioned aboard Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) moored here the last week of February.
The “Titans” of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 and members of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 successfully delivered an F-35C power module aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the U. S. Navy’s first, at-sea replenishment for this component.
This success follows a November 2020 milestone, during which VRM-30, CVW-2 and Vinson conducted the Navy’s first landings, take-offs, and refueling of a Navy CMV-22B Osprey from an aircraft carrier.
Fleet Readiness Center East marked a milestone with the induction of the first F-35B Lightning II aircraft to undergo laser peening modifications, and leaders anticipate the new workload will keep the facility engaged for the next several years.
During this time, experts will apply the high-tech procedure to select F-35B aircraft flown by the United States Marine Corps, strengthening the frames of the short takeoff-vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 Lightning II and helping the aircraft reach its full life limit.
New storage solutions are delivering big benefits on the F-35 Lightning II aircraft modification line at Fleet Readiness Center East, with everyone from aircraft maintenance professionals to program leadership noticing improvements in safety and efficiency.
During a visit to Fleet Readiness Center East Friday, July 17, Rep. Greg Murphy received updates on the future of naval aviation, the current status of operations and the economic opportunities FRCE brings to Eastern North Carolina.
Murphy, who represents North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, toured the facility with FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. Mark E. Nieto. The itinerary focused on the F-35 Lightning II and future plans for F-35 maintenance and capabilities at FRCE.
