An F-35B test aircraft has demonstrated the STOVL jet’s ability to conduct a vertical takeoff (VTO).
The May 10 flight took place from Naval Air Station Patuxent River and demonstrates a required capability for fielding the F-35B.
“While not a combat capability, VTOs are required for repositioning of the STOVL in environments where a jet could not perform a short takeoff. In these cases, the jet, with a limited amount of fuel, would execute a VTO to travel a short distance,” Lockheed Martin notes in a statement.
