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Hill AFB Fire and Emergency Services firefighters employ newly develped equipment during an equipment and procedure validation aimed at preventing damage from a battery fire on an F-35A Lightning II at Hill Air Force Base, Utah on March 3, 2026. The collaboration between military and industrial Airmen, engineers, and firefighters tested prototype equipment and new procedures to develop a solution for potential battery fires that can be fielded to F-35 units and future weapons systems using the same battery. (U.S. Air Force photo by R. Nial Bradshaw)

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Newly developed equipment delivers water to an F-35A Lightning II airframe during an equipment and procedure validation aimed at preventing damage from a battery fire on March 3, 2026 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The collaboration between military and industrial Airmen, engineers, and firefighters tested prototype equipment and new procedures to develop a solution for potential battery fires that can be fielded to F-35 units and future weapons systems using the same battery. (U.S. Air Force photo by R. Nial Bradshaw)

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A smoke machine simulates a battery fire during an equipment and procedure validation aimed at preventing damage from a battery fire on an F-35A Lightning II at Hill Air Force Base, Utah on March 3, 2026. The collaboration between military and industrial Airmen, engineers, and firefighters tested prototype equipment and new procedures to develop a solution for potential battery fires that can be fielded to F-35 units and future weapons systems using the same battery. (U.S. Air Force photo by R. Nial Bradshaw)

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Tech. Sgt. Nathaniel Hansen, 388th Maintenance Squadron, removes a panel during an equipment and procedure validation aimed at preventing damage from a battery fire on an F-35A Lightning II at Hill Air Force Base, Utah on March 3, 2026. The collaboration between military and industrial Airmen, engineers, and firefighters tested prototype equipment and new procedures to develop a solution for potential battery fires that can be fielded to F-35 units and future weapons systems using the same battery. (U.S. Air Force photo by R. Nial Bradshaw)

Hill AFB team leads joint effort to fight potential battery fire risk

Published March 12, 2026
By Micah Garbarino
388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – A recent collaboration between military and industry Airmen, engineers, and firefighters aims to protect the entire F-35 fleet from the risks associated with potential battery fires.

During a three-day gathering here, firefighters and maintainers tested prototype equipment alongside new procedures in the hopes of validating and fielding a solution for the joint force to keep personnel and aircraft safe.

The initiative brought together maintainers from the 388th Fighter Wing; firefighters from the 775th Civil Engineer Squadron; engineers from the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO); and partners from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and defense contractors.

All variants of the F-35 contain a powerful 270-volt lithium-ion battery, used to power the aircraft’s integrated power package and engine starter generator on startup, said Staff Sgt. Derek Ayers, with the 388th Logistics Support Squadron.

Like many advanced power sources, in rare instances a battery can malfunction and enter “thermal runaway,” a condition where it overheats and ignites, leading to a fire.

“Across the enterprise, we've had a couple of incidents over the years involving the F-35's lithium-ion batteries,” said Dan Santos, heavy maintenance, and crash damage repair lead with the F-35 Joint Program Office. “We want to equip emergency responders and maintainers with tools to prevent full ‘thermal runaway,’ which can be catastrophic.”

The battery's location deep within the aircraft, combined with the lack of warning that a battery may be faulty, can make it difficult for firefighters to stop an overheating battery from turning into a blaze.

To close that gap, the team at Hill AFB conducted rigorous, hands-on testing. The 388th Logistics Support Squadron provided maintainers and a dedicated, non-operational F-35 airframe—a unique asset that allows for realistic simulations without risk to the active fleet.

“Having that airplane is huge,” Santos said. “We use it for so many different training functions and this project could not have been done without the 388th’s support.”

During the event, firefighters from the 775th Civil Engineer Squadron tested specialized piercing nozzles designed to flood the battery bay with water – the most effective method for cooling the battery and extinguishing a fire.

“First, we ran smoke checks to see where the first indications of a battery fire would show up and then we tested tools they’ve been developing and tactics to negate that battery fire,” said Staff Sgt. Tristan Overson, a lead firefighter and NCOIC of training with the 775th CES. “If we're successful with this, this will affect the entire F-35 fleet and every other airframe that uses these batteries, not just ours.”

Once validated, the F-35 Joint Program Office can deliver units a "solution in a box" – a complete toolkit with equipment and standardized procedures that can be deployed to any F-35 base in the world. This will ensure that units, both from the U.S. and allied nations, have a proven method for handling a battery fire, Santos said.

“This fire demo will definitely keep maintainers and fire personnel all over the world safe in case we do have an emergency,” said Staff Sgt. Derek Ayers, a training instructor with the 388th LSS who helps manage the training aircraft.

The solutions developed at Hill AFB are also expected to inform safety procedures for future sixth-generation aircraft, which are anticipated to use similar advanced lithium-ion battery technology.