2009 is ending nicely if you happen to be involved in the Naval Flight Test Program. The second Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) stealth fighter has arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Joseph T. "O.D." Bachmann piloted the aircraft nonstop from Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth, Texas, plant to Patuxent River, successfully completing aerial refueling en route. Bachmann departed at 1107 EST, Tuesday, and arrived in Patuxent River at 1426 EST.

"Pax River is ready to begin the extensive four-year flight test campaign to help field the future of Marine Corps and Navy Aviation," said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 program general manager. "Over the next year, an integrated government/industry test team will ramp up the flight test at Pax River for the F-35B STOVL variant and F-35C carrier variant, and at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant."

Like the first F-35B that arrived at Patuxent River in November, this aircraft also is supported by the F-35 Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) and monitored by the F-35 Autonomics Logistics Global Sustainment (ALGS) Operations Center in Fort Worth. F-35 sustainment is based upon the principles of Performance-Based Logistics (PBL), involving extensive partnering agreements between government and industry. The F-35 team has developed an advanced sustainment system capability with designed-in sustainability that will reduce overall life-cycle costs and ensure mission readiness.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations, advanced sustainment, and lower operational and support costs. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com