U.S Navy Gets First F-35C JSF Training Jet

The U.S Navy took delivery of its first F-35C Joint Strike Fighter training aircraft from Lockheed Martin on 22 June.

The stealth carrier-based aircraft will be assigned to the service's Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101) "Grim Reapers", and will fly alongside US Air Force and US Marine Corps F-35 training units assigned to the air force's 33rd Fighter Wing. VFA-101 will serve as a fleet replacement squadron which will train aircrew and maintenance personnel from both the USN and USMC to fly and repair the F-35C.

"For me, the F-35C is really a key part of our future," chief of naval operation Adm Jonathan Greenert told the Senate appropriations subcommittee on defense earlier in the month. "It provides a unique and essential set of capabilities for our air wing and for our carrier strike group, effectively for the fleet."

The F-35C is expected to be operational with the USN in late 2018 or early 2019.