F-35B Lightning II joins HMS Prince of Wales 11 Oct 2023
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/455545...s-prince-wales
"WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 11, 2023)— An F-35B Lightning II fighter jet landed aboard U.K. aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) today kicking off developmental test phase 3 (DT-3) sea trials aboard Britain’s largest Warship. A test pilot from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23), Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NAS Pax River), Maryland, flew the specially instrumented F-35B to the U.K.’s newest aircraft carrier, which got underway Tuesday from Norfolk Naval Station, Virginia.... ...The pilot and aircraft join a test team of approximately 200 personnel from the Pax River F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) embarked for up to four weeks of sea trials off the coast of the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.
“Our team has trained extensively to prepare for this day, and I was honored to bring the capabilities of the F-35B back out to the Prince of Wales,” said F-35B test pilot U.S. Marine Maj. Paul Gucwa, the ITF test team project officer. Maj. Gucwa and two other pilots assigned to the Pax ITF will fly the ITF jets during the flight test. “Our planning, training, and preparations were focused on conducting a successful sea trial and ultimately contributing to the carrier continually developing to keep it at the cutting edge,” Gucwa said...."
Photo: https://d1ldvf68ux039x.cloudfront.ne.../1000w_q95.jpg
