Raytheon plans to demonstrate a deployable version of its approach and landing guidance system at two of the U.S. Air Force's F-35 operation facilities in 2019, Military.com reported Wednesday. The company aims to show the U.S. Air Force the ability of the Joint Precision Approach and Landings System to guide …
Read More »Lockheed-Leonardo Team Delivers F-35B to Italian Defense Ministry
A team composed of Lockheed Martin and Leonardo has delivered a short take-off/vertical landing variant of the F-35 fighter aircraft to Italy’s defense ministry. The ministry received the first F-35B produced outside the U.S. and assigned the STOVL jet to the Italian navy at a final assembly and check out facility in Cameri, Lockheed said Thursday. Italy-based Leonardo …
Read More »Lockheed Delivers UK’s 14th F-35B Aircraft; Peter Ruddock Comments
The U.K. military has accepted delivery of a 14th F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft from Lockheed Martin. The F-35B flew into Beaufort, South Carolina, last week to undergo tests by 200 deployed U.K. personnel before the aircraft joins the country’s 617 Squadron by next summer, the British defense ministry said Monday. Peter …
Read More »Northrop, UK Air Force Demo Communication Interoperability Between F-35, Typhoon Jets
The U.K.’s air force and Northrop Grumman have collaborated to test communications interoperability between the Typhoon FGR4 fighter aircraft and Lockheed Martin-built F-35B. Northrop said Wednesday it provided an airborne gateway for the two-week Babel Fish III trial that was held in Mojave Desert, California. F-35 jets communicate through the Multifunction Advanced Data Link while the Typhoon aircraft uses Link …
Read More »Navy to Test 7 Lockheed-Built F-35B Aircraft Aboard USS America Warship
The U.S. Navy will conduct developmental and operational tests of seven Lockheed Martin-built F-35B Lightning II aircraft aboard an amphibious assault ship. Five of the seven F-35B short take-off and vertical-landing variant are scheduled to enter the operational testing phase onboard the USS America (LHA-6) vessel while the remaining two fighter jets will begin the …
Read More »Bell-Boeing JV Taps Cobham to Develop Aerial Refueling System for Osprey Aircraft
A joint venture of Boeing and Bell Helicopter has awarded a contract to Cobham to build an aerial refueling system for the U.S. Marine Corps' MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. Cobham said Tuesday the V-22 Aerial Refueling System will be based on the company’s FR300 Hose Drum Unit and will support Osprey’s capacity to refuel …
Read More »British Air Force Concludes F-35B Tanker Tests
The U.K.’s air force has completed the refueling test trials for the Lockheed Martin-built F-35B Lightning II short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, The Aviationist reported Tuesday. Todd Miller writes the Royal Air Force used an A330 Voyager tanker to conduct 18 …
Read More »MBDA Begins Air-to-Air Missile Delivery for UK’s F-35 Fleet
MBDA has begun deliveries of its Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles to the U.K. military for integration with the country's fleet of Lockheed Martin-built F-35B Lightning II aircraft. The U.K. defense ministry will use ASRAAMs in air-launched fire tests and flight trials necessary to achieve initial operating capability for the fighter …
Read More »F-35B Planes Complete Operational Test Aboard US Navy Ship; Mark Buongiorno Comments
The U.S. Marine Corps has completed an initial operational test of the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II multirole fighter aircraft fitted with Pratt & Whitney-built F135 engines on board a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship. The six F-35B fighter planes were able to carry out at least 100 takeoffs and landings during …
Read More »Lockheed F-35B Performs Night-Time Vertical Landing
A Lockheed Martin F-35B fighter jet landed vertically on a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship during a test flight Aug. 14. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Russell Clift flew the short take-off and vertical-landing variant plane over Forth Worth, Texas as part of the F-35 program’s Developmental Test Phase Two ship …
Read More »Royal Air Force's First Lockheed F-35 Vertical Landing Performed by Pilot Jim Schofield
The Royal Air Force‘s Jim Schofield became the service’s first pilot to complete a vertical landing of a Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft. After a May 28 flight, Schofield said that the F-35B “has truly revolutionized STOVL flying,” Lockheed Martin said Tuesday. Schofield added that the …
Read More »