LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Defense attachés from 17 allied and partner nations visited Luke Air Force Base to deepen cooperation on F-35A Lightning II training and integration, June 2, 2025. The visit marked the first of four scheduled stops on a U.S.-based tour organized by the Secretary of the Air Force International Affairs foreign liaison team.
“It was a real privilege to host our international partners and give them a look at what our Airmen do every day,” said Brig. Gen. David Berkland, 56th Fighter Wing commander. “Our team takes a lot of pride in the mission here, and visits like this are a great way to show how their hard work makes Luke a benchmark for integrated training with partner nations around the world.”
The attachés, representing nations from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania, received an in-depth look at how the United States and its partners are advancing fifth-generation fighter integration. While at Luke, the delegation received a wing mission brief, participated in a roundtable discussion with Brig. Gen. Berkland, toured two fighter squadrons, experienced F-35 tabletop simulators, visited an F-35 aircraft, and walked the flight line. The roundtable focused on how Luke integrates international partners into F-35 operations and training pipelines.
“Among all the allies and partners, here many of them are F-35 users or about to be introduced to the F-35, and they want to understand how it will change their air force, like it did ours,” said Royal Netherlands Air Force Col. Ben Kamstra, RNLAF military air and space attaché and assistant defense attaché. “That’s why many came on this trip. To understand what it takes to integrate your nation into a broader set of nations, which you have to do if you fly the F-35 now. Luke is a great example of what allied and partner integration in both basic and advanced courses of F-35 training can be.”
Luke AFB, home to the 56th Fighter Wing, trains more than 70% of the world’s F-35 pilots and is a central hub for multinational fighter pilot instruction. Presently, Luke trains pilots from, not only the United States, but from Italy, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Singapore. The visit underscored Luke AFB’s key role in fostering allied readiness through partnership and training and emphasized its global impact in training the world’s greatest fighter pilots and combat-ready Airmen.