By Associated Press - Friday, March 14, 2014

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - The first F-35 fighter jet to arrive at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale has had its unveiling along with a flyover.

An hour-long ceremony was held Friday inside a hangar at Luke.

Gov. Jan Brewer, Arizona congressman Trent Franks and Under Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning spoke on a dais in front of the Lightning II stealth jet.

A crowd of about 500 then watched a series of flyovers.

Another 143 of the supersonic jets are expected to be assigned to Luke over the next decade.

Base officials expect additional F-35s to arrive a couple of times per month until Luke has six squadrons of 24 planes each.

The base 15 miles west of Phoenix is projected to become the Air Force’s primary F-35 pilot training base.

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