Lockheed Martin this week announced its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter STOVL variant has achieved supersonic speeds for the first time, accelerating to Mach 1.07 (727 miles per hour) on the first in a series of planned supersonic flights.

The milestone was achieved on the 30th flight of the F-35B (BF-2), piloted by U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matt Kelly. The aircraft climbed to 30,000 feet and accelerated to Mach 1.07 in the off-shore supersonic test track near Naval Air Station Patuxent River. During the flight, Kelly accomplished 21 unique test points, including several Integrated Test Blocks to validate roll, pitch, yaw and propulsion performance, Lockheed Martin said.

"For the first time in military aviation history, supersonic, radar-evading stealth comes with short takeoff/vertical landing capability," said Bob Price, Lockheed Martin's F-35 U.S. Marine Corps program manager. "The supersonic F-35B can deploy from small ships and austere bases near front-line combat zones, greatly enhancing combat air support with higher sortie-generation rates." The F-35B will enter service for the Marines, the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, and the Italian Air Force and Navy.

BF-2 is the third F-35 to achieve supersonic flight as two F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variants have also broken the sound barrier. Future testing will gradually aim to reach the aircraft's top speed of Mach 1.6, which the F-35 is designed to achieve with a full internal weapons load of more than 3,000 pounds.

Three F-35 variants are under development – the F-35A CTOL variant to replace U.S. Air Force F-16s and A-10s, as well as aircraft employed by seven allied nations; the F-35B STOVL variant to replace U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18s, U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Harrier GR.7s, GR.9s and Sea Harriers, and Italian Harriers; and the F-35C carrier variant to replace U.S. Navy F/A-18s.

(photo credit: Lockheed Martin)

 

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