F-35 fighters will have their service life extended with the help of lasers. Yesterday, January 3, the portal defbrief.com He reported that the first F-35B of the US Marine Corps returned to service after the laser shock treatment procedure.
Laser shock peening is the treatment of structural elements with a laser beam, which gives them additional strength. In 2019, the FRCE division (Fleet Readiness Center East) assembled the first laser installation for use with a fleet of F-35 fighters. Now the first fighter has completed the processing procedure and returned to the combat staff of the Marine Corps.
Rolling out the F-35B fighter after the laser shock treatment procedure
Image source: defbrief.com
In the future, the FRCE division intends to expand the number of laser installations to ensure serial processing of F-35 fighters of all modifications. As indicated in FRCE, laser shock treatment strengthens the design of the fighter, as well as increases its service life.
