The Air Force's F-35A Lightning II made its combat debut on April 30, releasing a Joint Direct Attack Munition against an ISIS tunnel network and weapons depot in Wadi Ashai, Iraq. The target was located in the Hamrin Mountains and was in a position to "threaten friendly forces," according to AFCENT. This is the first Middle East deployment for the Air Force's F-35A, and while the operation apparently involved two F-35As, only one released a weapon. The strike fighters deployed to Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates, from the 4th Fighter Squadron at Hill AFB, Utah, just two weeks prior. The jets previously deployed to Europe and Japan. The F-35A was declared operational at Hill in the summer of 2016.
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