For close to a half century, Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix, Arizona, was the main training center for U.S. Air Force F-16 pilots. But on Sept. 30, the last Fighting Falcon training mission closed out that history. The Air Force announced this week that the 56th Fighter Wing has now shifted exclusively to flying F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft. Programs will be updated, infrastructure remodeled and F-16 support equipment dismantled to make way for the new stealth fighters.
Robert McCutchen, 56th Training Squadron Networked Training Center operations manager, said, “It will take seven months, from October to April, to dismantle the equipment. Upgrading electrical systems, replacing an elevator, and improving HVAC are a few of the changes needed to accommodate F-35 training. These updates are crucial to support new training requirements and simulators arriving in 2026.”
The transition will include adding 12 F-35 simulators. Maj. Shaun Lovett, 56th Training Squadron chief of training systems, said, “There are currently five F-35 fighter squadrons flying at Luke AFB. We expect to add two more over the next two years.”
“With the addition of the Modified Mission Rehearsal Trainers,” Lovett added, “we will have enough simulator capacity to reliably replicate scenarios involving anywhere from four to 12 F-35s alongside numerous simulated partner and sister service entities. This will enable students to experience high-level training across all mission sets our nation requires.”
