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World
Navy Force News - US Navy/US Marines/Lockheed Martin |
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| F-35B
COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL INITIAL SHIPBOARD VERTICAL LANDING ABOARD USS WASP |
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At
sea – The Navy and Marine Corps Team made more remarkable naval
aviation history today as the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test
aircraft BF-2 landed safely on USS Wasp’s (LHD-1) flight deck,
the first at sea vertical landing for the Marine Corps’ F-35 JSF
version.
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F-35B BF-02
about to land on USS Wasp
(picture: US Navy)
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Marine Corps test pilot
Lt. Col. Fred Schenk landed BF-2 at 3:12 pm.
“It was exactly like we predicted,” said Schenk. “But
that’s because of all the hard work and extensive preparation done
by the Wasp and JSF team.”
The first vertical landing is part of the initial ship trials for the
F-35B which started Monday and is expected to last two-weeks. The tests
are scheduled to collect data on the aircraft’s ability to perform
short take-offs and vertical landings on a ship at sea, as well as determine
how the aircraft integrates with the ship’s landing systems, and
deck and hangar operations.
This test period, the first of three scheduled at-sea test periods over
the course of the development program, will also collect environmental
data on the deck through added instrumentation to measure the F-35B’s
impact to flight deck operations. |
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F-35B BF-02
on USS Wasp deck
(picture: US Navy)
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“The first at
sea vertical landing is a huge milestone,” said Marine Corps Col.
Roger Cordell, military site director for F-35 test and evaluation at
Naval Air Station Patuxent River. “We’re still early in this
test period, and we expect to learn a lot more, but this is a great step
toward delivering the capability to the fleet.”
Wasp spent time in a shipyard earlier this year, preparing for the F-35
test period; adding specialized instrumentation to measure deck environmental
effects.
“It is no small feat to put together sea trials,” said Vice
Admiral David Venlet, F-35 Program Executive Officer. “This test
was planned to happen on 3 October back in early spring of this year and
the team delivered on schedule. Signs of dependable performance are emerging
across broad aspects of the development program. Professionals from the
Navy, Marine Corps and industry team of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman,
BAE Systems and Pratt and Whitney and Rolls Royce continue to work tirelessly
to deliver this aircraft to the fleet.”
“Every time an aircraft is first tested at sea we learn a great
deal and the data collected from this event will inform us about the further
development work necessary to successfully integrate the F-35B on large-deck
amphibious ships. By all accounts, we’re off to a great start today,”
Venlet said.
The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine
Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious
ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground
Task Force. The F-35B will replace Marine AV-8B Harriers and F-18 Hornets
and is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery
to the fleet.
In addition to being the first ship to successfully land the F-35B, USS
Wasp was also the first ship to host the V-22 Osprey during shipboard
trials in October 2007.
Summary information regarding the performance of the F-35B ship trials
will be made available after the completion of the test period. |
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F-35B first
landing and lift off at sea
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F-35B BF-02
conducts initial sea trials over the Atlantic Ocean.
(picture: US Navy)
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