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And the Edwards and Beaufort efforts provide important pieces to the evolution as
well. We have an integrated RAF and Royal Navy team at Edwards. 17 (R) squadron at
Edwards is a mix of RAF and RN. At Beaufort, we have a UK team and one of our air-
craft, and we are working closely with the USMC. That is another key element of the
joint integrated effort, from our point of view.”

Question: You are part of the F-35B process as well as the coming of the new UK car-
rier.

What changes involved with the ship affect the F-35B and how does the F-35B han-
dling process affect the ship?

This question was discussed by both Gordon Stewart and Squadron Leader Edgell and
they focused on four key elements.

First, the handling qualities of the aircraft are so dramatically different from the Harrier
that they could approach ship operations very differently. Rather than being heavily fo-
cused on flying the airplane, they could focus upon the mission.

Squadron Leader Edgell: “I can still remember vividly a Harrier flight from HMS Illus-
trious in really rough sea conditions where I launched to conduct 1v1training with the
Typhoon. As I was fighting the Typhoon, the whole time, in the back of my mind, I was
thinking of the difficulties that awaited me when recovering to the carrier. My mind
was not fully on the task of fighting the Typhoon because I was concerned with the
challenges that lay ahead.

With the F-35B, this problem is signiOicantly ameliorated. The whole confidence factor of
getting home safely is just another step in the generational jump provided by this air-
craft.”

Second, the U.S. was building the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System
(JPALS) as the ship-air integration pairing system; the Brits were building in a new sys-
tem, the Bedford Array Landing System, onboard the carriers, to work with the F-35
man-machine system, to enhance the safety and effectiveness of landing at sea.

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