US Air Force adds F-35A simulator at Misawa
The US Air Force has introduced a mixed-reality F-35A Lightning II engine run simulator at Misawa Air Base, giving maintenance Airmen a way to train on aircraft systems and emergency procedures without using a live aircraft. The simulator forms part of the 35th Fighter Wing’s preparations as Misawa transitions to the F-35A.
The simulator lets instructors run emergency scenarios that would be difficult to practise on an operational aircraft. These include engine fires and hydraulic failures. Students can interact with the aircraft’s controls and screens while an instructor guides them through each scenario in the simulated environment.
The system is also expected to reduce the need to use live aircraft for some maintenance training. The 35th Fighter Wing expects the simulator to save about $12,000 in fuel per class, or approximately $144,000 annually, once official maintainer training begins in November 2026.
The simulator lets maintainers repeat complex procedures without using a live F-35A for every training exercise. This can reduce fuel use and help preserve aircraft availability while giving personnel more opportunities to practise maintenance tasks.
The system provides a controlled setting where trainees can work through procedures before performing them on an operational aircraft. The simulator also lets students interact directly with the aircraft’s controls and screens rather than relying only on a virtual representation.
Staff Sgt. Chaz Dages, a 35th Maintenance Group unit training manager, said the closed simulated environment allows Airmen to make mistakes during training rather than during work on a live aircraft. He also highlighted the system’s ability to interact with the controls and screens.
Staff Sgt. Joshua Owens, an F-35A instructor with the 35th Maintenance Group’s operations training section, said the simulator helps Airmen become familiar with the aircraft and prepare to respond quickly to emergencies. The training also gives maintainers more opportunities to build repetition while using the actual aircraft less.
The simulator is part of Misawa’s wider transition to the F-35A and the training required to support the fifth-generation fighter. The aircraft brings state-of-the-art sensors and information-sharing capabilities to the base. Maintenance personnel are preparing to support those systems while keeping the aircraft mission-capable.
The new capability also supports the 35th Fighter Wing’s effort to maintain the availability of its F-35A aircraft. Moving some maintenance training into a simulated environment reduces the need to use live aircraft for exercises and keeps aircraft available for other missions and requirements.
The simulator’s arrival followed a two-year effort to bring the capability to Misawa. Official classes for maintainers are due to begin in November 2026. Until then, the system gives the base a new way to prepare maintenance personnel for F-35A procedures and emergencies.
The training capability is focused on situations that require maintainers to respond to aircraft problems while working with the F-35A’s systems. Engine fires and hydraulic failures are among the scenarios that instructors can use during training. Students can operate the simulated controls and screens while instructors guide them through the procedures.
The capability is being introduced as Misawa builds the maintenance skills required for the F-35A. The aircraft’s fifth-generation sensors and information-sharing systems form part of the systems that maintenance personnel must support. Keeping trained personnel available is part of the effort to keep the aircraft mission-capable.
The simulator therefore adds another method for maintenance training during the F-35A transition. It allows instructors to present emergency procedures in a controlled setting and gives students direct interaction with aircraft controls and screens. At the same time, some training can take place without removing a live fighter from the flight line.
The two-year effort to bring the simulator to Misawa will lead to official maintainer classes in November 2026. The 35th Fighter Wing expects the system to reduce fuel use during those classes while providing maintainers with additional opportunities to repeat procedures and train for emergencies without relying on a live F-35A for every exercise.
