[Sukadrukanga]

By Dave Majumdar - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Sep 29, 2011 11:38:36 EDT

The Marine Corps F-35B short-take off vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter will begin sea trials next week, the service’s top aviation officer said.

“They start on 3rd October, and should last only two weeks,” said Lt. Gen. Terry Robling, the Marine’s deputy commandant for aviation. “But we have the USS Wasp for six weeks in case there are some anomalies.”

Robling expressed confidence that the sea trials would go well.

According to Lockheed Martin F-35 program manager, Tom Burbage, both the Lightning II aircraft and the amphibious assault ship Wasp have been instrumented for the trials.

Successful sea trials would be a coup for the Marines and ... Read the rest of the story here.


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What do you hope to see out of the F-35B sea trials?