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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) hosted an Oct. 11 visit from Edgar Apollo, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) Product Support Management director. During the visit, FRCE leadership briefed Apollo and gave him a tour highlighting the depot’s support of the F-35 program.
The F-35 JPO Product Support Management team oversees F-35 supply chain logistics and sustainment for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, seven international partners, and foreign military sales customers.
“This visit was a great opportunity to highlight what we’ve been doing and where we are headed,” said FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James Belmont. “The F-35 brings unprecedented capabilities to our warfighters. It is unlike any other aircraft. We are proud of the work we’ve done and even prouder to support the fleet by providing modification and repair for an aircraft that is essentially the future of naval aviation.”
FRCE is the lead site for depot-level maintenance on the F-35B Lightning II and has conducted modifications and repair on the Marine Corps’ short takeoff-vertical landing variant of the aircraft since 2013. The depot has also worked with the F-35A (conventional takeoff and landing) and F-35C (carrier) variants.
Belmont and other FRCE officials also briefed Apollo on the depot’s overall operations and facilities as well as the ways the command is overcoming challenges regarding aging infrastructure.
After the briefing, Apollo toured shops supporting engine overhaul and component capabilities as well as the depot’s F-35B Lightning II modification line. Apollo also visited FRCE’s $6 million, purpose-built laser shock peening facility. Laser shock peening is a procedure used to extend the life expectancy of certain F-35B aircraft.
FRCE is North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.
Learn more at www.navair.navy.mil/frce or https://www.facebook.com/FleetReadinessCenterEast.
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