F-35B Lightning Fighters Land On Assault Ship

Two F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters have made successful vertical landings aboard a US Navy amphibious assault ship.

The milestone marks the beginning of the first phase of operational shipboard testing in which the jets will be put through a series of flight and deck operations.

Among them weapons loading, day and night flights and the testing of the aircrafts' digital systems integration with those of the USS Wasp.

The data collected and lessons learned by the US Marine Corps will lay the groundwork for F-35B deployments aboard the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers.

The UK has already taken delivery of its first 2 Lightning II aircraft, which are currently based in the United States. The single-seater aircraft, which is capable of flying at Mach 1.6, is due to be flying from the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth from 2018. 

Earlier this month Lt. Col. Christine Mau became the first woman to fly the F-35. Following 14 simulator missions the Deputy Commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing Operations Group took to the skies above Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.