US Air Force F-35A pilots at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) participated in Independent Pilot Off-station Procedures (IPOP), a program designed to enhance aircrew capabilities in aircraft maintenance and refueling, on April 1, 2024.
IPOP enables pilots to independently inspect and deploy their aircraft, fostering self-sufficiency during prolonged flight missions and bolstering mission readiness. The initiative encompasses refueling the fighter and post-flight checks on essential components such as tires and intakes.
This training opportunity equips pilots with vital maintenance and refueling skills and extends the fighter’s operational range by allowing them to be deployed from austere or degraded environments with limited support and maintenance personnel.
The exercise served as a platform for the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Maintenance Operational Test (MxOT) division, based at Nellis AFB, to advance standardization efforts in tactics, techniques, and procedure development within a joint environment.
In recent years, the USAF and its allied air forces have focused on spreading their operational capabilities across multiple sites to enhance strategic interoperability and increase difficulty for enemies trying to identify targets. The US Department of Defense has named this strategy the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine.
