Navy Admiral Tapped To Head New F-35 Fleet Integration Office

Lara Seligman, Defense News

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Navy secretary on Tuesday tapped Rear Adm. Roy “Trigger” Kelley to head up the service’s new F-35 joint strike fighter fleet integration office.

As head of the new office, Kelley will act as liaison between the joint program office and the US Navy as the service prepares to integrate the F-35C into the fleet. The F-35C carrier version will be the last JSF variant to reach initial operational capability, a milestone planned for 2018.

The Air Force has a similar integration office, headed by Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian.

“The fifth-generation Navy variant stealth fighter, F-35C Lightning II, will bring tremendous capability to the carrier strike group’s (CSG) integrated warfighting package with stealth advantages that allow it to penetrate threat envelopes and deliver payloads, the ability to detect and fuse information from many sources and link that fused picture to other CSG aircraft, ships and decision-makers,” said Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, Commander, Naval Aviation Forces in an April 12 statement.

“Under Rear Adm. Kelley’s leadership, the FIO will be instrumental in ensuring that these technologies are seamlessly integrated as we prepare for IOC in 2018.”