The world’s most advanced stealth fighter jet recently made its first arrested landing aboard a Ford-class aircraft carrier. The US Navy’s F-35C Lightning II fighter aircraft made the landing aboard the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) on October 13.
“The future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) celebrated the Navy’s birthday in style, recording the first F-35C landing aboard a Ford-class aircraft carrier. An F-35C Lightning II from the ‘Salty Dogs’ of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 made the historic arrested landing,” said the U.S. Navy in a post shared on X.
Electromagnetic launch technology tested with F-35
The landing shows progress in a complex integration program involving advanced aircraft, electromagnetic launch technology and modern recovery systems. The test involved F-35C aircraft and pilots from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23), working with the F-35 Integrated Test Force associated with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. The team was conducting Aircraft Compatibility Testing to assess how the carrier’s aviation systems interact with Navy aircraft.
Lockheed Martin claims that with the most advanced node in a 21st-century network-centric security architecture, the F-35 serves as a powerful force multiplier with advanced sensors and communications suites.
Its 5th-generation capabilities make the F-35 the most survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, giving pilots an advantage against any adversary and enabling them to execute their mission and return home safely.
F-35 is critical to maintaining air dominance
As threats evolve and legacy aircraft age, the F-35 has become critical in maintaining air dominance now and in the future. The F-35C, operated by the U.S. Department of the Navy, brings radar-evading stealth capability to the carrier deck for the first time in U.S. naval aviation history. With stealth technology, advanced sensors, supersonic speed, weapons capacity and superior range, the F-35C is the most advanced fighter ever to operate aboard a carrier deck, according to Lockheed Martin.
The F-35C jet is the carrier-specific variant of the F-35 Lightning II family, developed for operations from the US Navy’s aircraft carriers. Unlike the F-35A operated by the US Air Force, the fighter jet features larger wings, reinforced landing gear, and a strengthened tail hook to withstand the demanding conditions of carrier take-offs and landings.
The fighter jet integrates low-observable stealth characteristics with advanced sensors, electronic warfare capabilities, and networked information sharing. These features are designed to help pilots identify threats, build situational awareness and coordinate operations in contested environments.
When deployed from an aircraft carrier, the aircraft can extend the reach of naval aviation without depending entirely on land-based airfields. Its ability to operate alongside other carrier aircraft makes it a key component of the Navy’s future carrier air wings.
Carrier-based stealth aircraft can help naval forces conduct surveillance, gather intelligence, identify targets and engage threats in environments where adversary air defenses make conventional operations more difficult.