61
were forward deployed from Pax to Marine
Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, for the
operations off the coast of southern California.
Although conducted in relatively benign
conditions, it marked a signifi cant triumph for
the F-35C under its initial at-sea
Developmental Testing I (DT-I) phase – thefi rst of three at-sea test campaigns planned for
the carrier-based F-35C.
The Integrated Test Force (ITF) was at sea
for two weeks and conducted a variety of
catapult launch and arrested recoveries with
different crosswinds and wind-over-deck
speeds. Having been one of the main reasonsfor slightly delayed carrier trials, the F-35C’s
redesigned tailhook performed sou nd ly.
Speaking to Navy Times, LT Chris
Karapostoles, a landing signal offi cer (LSO)
with VX-23, explained that the F-35C can
adjust its approach faster and smoother,
making it more likely to hit the three wire –
the ideal landing. As of November 13, 2014,
the aircraft had completed 102 catapult
launches and 104 arrested landings that
satisfi ed 95% of the threshold requirements
planned for DT-I. Testing during DT-I went
so smoothly that it prompted offi cials to
consider starting night operations before
departing the ship.
A second at-sea period aboard the Norfolk-
based carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN
69) was completed on October 9, 2015. Again,
CF-03 and CF-05 embarked, fi rst arriving on
the carrier on October 2.
The pair conducted day and night carrier
qualifi cations over a period of eight days
under Developmental Testing II (DT-II).REVOLUTION
The US Navy is the
last of the three US
services to take the
Lightning II through
to initial operating
capability (IOC). It’s
been a long path
from initial flight to
service entry.ABOVE: Lockheed Martin test pilot Je Knowles gets airborne in CF-01 for its rst ight on
June 6, 2010. Lockheed Martin BELOW: VX-23’s F-35C CF-03 is readied for launch from the USS
‘Nimitz’ (CVN 68) during the DT-I trials in 2014. US Navy/MCSN Eli K Buguey