F-35A Lightning II pilots, maintainers, and weapons personnel assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing are training to minimize the time aircraft spend on the ground during combat operations by perfecting "hot" Integrated Combat Turns (ICT). This training, which includes a certification event held on Oct. 23, 2026, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, aims to pave the way for the unit’s first multi-AOR ICT coverage.
During a hot Integrated Combat Turn, maintainers must refuel and rearm an aircraft while the engine remains running and the pilot remains in the cockpit. Lt. Col. Cahn Wadhams, 388th Maintenance Group deputy commander, stated that the strategic advantage lies in having jets in the air, noting that the goal is to limit the amount of time jets are on the ground during combat. He added that if something goes wrong during the process, the pilot can immediately get the aircraft out of there rather than being stuck on the ground.
The training involves coordination between various personnel, including crew chiefs, weapons load crews, and pilots from the 388th FW, alongside Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants personnel from the 75th Air Base Wing. During the procedure, 75th POL teams position and ground the fuel truck while 388th FW personnel connect the hose and conduct fueling operations while weapons troops simultaneously load the aircraft with munitions. Senior Master Sgt. Stephanie Rivera, 388th Weapons Standardization superintendent, noted that participants must be physically fit to lift weapons weighing hundreds of pounds and must be conscientious because rearming and refueling underneath a running aircraft is dangerous.
The F-35 has an advantage for speedy ICTs due to the aircraft's high mission-capable reliability and health-monitoring systems. Wadhams said the aircraft can identify many maintenance issues before landing, which helps maintainers determine if it can quickly return to flight. This high reliability could allow an aircraft to be loaded, fueled, and back in the air within minutes.
The wing plans to train a number of hot ICT load crews and crew chiefs on the procedure over the next several months. This ongoing specialized training is intended to ensure Airmen remain proficient and possess the confidence to perform at a high level to get aircraft back into the fight.
