495th Fighter Squadron receives three more Valkyries
12'Valkyries' is the new nickname for the Air Force's England-bound F-35 squadron.
RAF LAKENHEATH, England — The Air Force’s first overseas-based F-35A squadron will be nicknamed the “Valkyries,” for the mythological Norse women who chose who would live or die in battle, the 48th Fighter Wing said Tuesday.
“’Valkyries’ epitomizes the force’s move toward more inclusivity and equally represents the fifth-generation stealth fighter’s air superiority,” said Lt. Col. Ian McLaughlin, the incoming commander of the the 495th Fighter Squadron, which is expected to arrive at Lakenheath later this year.
Valkyries was one of just five names that were still in the running in December, together with Archangels, Sabres, Sentinels and Swordsmen.
Possible influences on the choice of Valkyries over the other four include that RAF Lakenheath is in a part of England that’s steeped in Norse and Viking history, and that F-35A pilots are said to have the power to control the skies.
The nickname given to the 495th Fighter Squadron’s predecessor, the 495th Tactical Fighter squadron, which flew F-111 Aardvarks out of Lakenheath during the Cold War, was ruled out for the new unit.
They were known as the “Thundervarks,” a name that “doesn’t really have the same stick” for a squadron of fifth-generation F-35s, 48th Fighter Wing spokesman Master Sgt. Matthew Plew told Stars and Stripes in September.
The Valkyries will have about 24 aircraft and 50 personnel, with another 600 or so associated with its aircraft maintenance unit, base officials said. Lakenheath is expected to eventually host two F-35 squadrons.