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When we were on the first sea trials aboard the Wasp there was deck degradation from
a hot engine, but that engine belonged to the Osprey. The landing was not perfect, so
there was some deck scorching from the Osprey engine.

It's not that the F-35B engine is not putting out a lot of heat; it is. But, in part, the flight
control system and the propulsion system are controlling that output and reducing the
amount of time you're exposing heat onto the flight deck.”

The next DT test will focus in part on the F-35B and its flying qualities in terms of opera-
tions in higher sea states and difficult sea operating conditions.

Gordon Stewart: From a purely handling point of view, we expect this aircraft to oper-
ate much better than the Harrier in returning to the ship in difficult sea states. We ex-
pect to have better systems to guide you back to the ship and to get you on there more
safely and effectively.”

The F-35 integrated test approach is both a glimpse of the future as well as a foundation
for that future. The fusion cockpit of the aircraft, as well as the integration of the fleet
and its impact and its ability to extend the reach of the carrier as part of integrated op-
erations, provides a challenge to reshape the testing approach going forward.

According to Briggs: “So we’re getting at F-35 now. But, if you take a look at some of the
initiatives that are going on with the integrated warfare capabilities, and how you are
going to marry up its sensors, its fusion engine, how you stimulate it, how it responds,
and how you integrate them into a network architecture — that is where we are going.

It is not an in and of itself aircraft. It is a significant network enabler.

In the test community, and for the F-35 this is mostly at Edwards, we are taking a look
at how the aircraft, the ship, the satellites are responding, communicating, talking, dis-
playing. There is a lot of effort going on in that. The Navy’s spent a fair amount in their
network integrated warfare capability.”

And, it should be noted that the next partner to benefit from Pax River for its F-35 pro-
gram will be Italy. Recently, Italy flew its second Italian built F-35, known as AL-2. Feb-

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