Marine Corps Maj. C. R. “Jimi” Clift flies F-35B Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft BF-3 Dec. 19, 2011 with a 1,000-lb inert test GBU-32 in an open internal weapons bay for loads testing.
Significant weapons testing for the F-35B and F-35C variants is scheduled for 2012, including fit checks, captive carriage, pit drop and aerial drop tests.
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 is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet. (ends)
Statement by Lockheed Martin
F-35B and F-35C Lightning II weapons testing is now under way at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division test facility at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.
The tests will include fit checks, captive carry flights (as shown here), and ground pit drops, all of which will lead to aerial drop tests later this year.
In this photo, taken 19 December 2011, Marine Corps Maj. C. R. Clift flies a dynamic loads test in an F-35B test aircraft with a 1,000-lb inert test GBU-32 satellite-guided bomb loaded in the aircraft’s internal weapons bay.
