 F-35C
The U.S. Navy anxiously awaits the first round of F-35C JSF craft
The U.S. Navy is expected to receive its first F-35C Joint Strike Fighter sometime this summer, as the Navy variant of the fighter jet begins to roll out of the factory.
After the Navy begins to receive the new F-35C, officials will begin to conduct test flights of the jet sometime prior to the end of 2009. Both the Air Force and Marine Corps have versions of the jet in development, and the Navy will be last to have operational craft in the air.
The F-35C is the modified carrier version of the JSF, and will be used to help reduce the possible strike "fighter gap" that military officials are currently worried about.
During a press conference last month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the F/A-18 Hornet would begin to be phased out, as the Navy shifts focus towards the next-generation F-35 Lighting II fighter jet.
The announcement surprised many government officials, with companies involved in the F/A-18 showing disappointment by Gates' announcement. Gates also effectively called for an end to further F-22 Raptor orders, also alarming contractors.
The operational capacity for the F-35C is scheduled for 2015, and the date will not change despite Gates' announcement last month, military officials said. It was originally believed the launch date of the fighter jet could be accelerated because of Gates' announcement regarding the F/A-18 and F-22.
It's unknown how many F-35C aircraft will be produced, though flight deck crews will be downsized as some maintenance issues will become digitized.
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