Videos

Watch: Airborne flight testing of the F-35B gun completed!

Another check in the block for the F-35 program and a bit of aviation history was recently made when the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX23 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River completed airborne testing of the F-35B gun.

Watch Earlier Ground Testing of the F-35 Gun

You've reached your daily free article limit.

Subscribe and support our veteran writing staff to continue reading.

Get Full Ad-Free Access For Just $0.50/Week

Enjoy unlimited digital access to our Military Culture, Defense, and Foreign Policy coverage content and support a veteran owned business. Already a subscriber?

Another check in the block for the F-35 program and a bit of aviation history was recently made when the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX23 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River completed airborne testing of the F-35B gun.

Watch Earlier Ground Testing of the F-35 Gun

Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23) is NAVAIR’s largest flight test organization. The squadron’s mission is to support the RDT&E of fixed wing tactical aircraft by providing aircraft and pilot assets, maintenance services, safety oversight and facility support for these efforts.

VX-23 consists of approximately 45 officers (Navy, Marine Corps and foreign nationals), 90 enlisted (Navy and Marine Corps), 45 civil service and 965 contractor employees directly involved with aircraft maintenance, test planning and conduct, safety oversight and support of the squadron’s 44 F/A-18A-D Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, T-45A/C Goshawk aircraft and EA-6B Prowler.” – Naval Air Warfare Center

If you don’t already know, the F-35B is the variant that the US Marine Corps will be using and has Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) capabilities. The gun is actually mounted to the aircraft as a pod, can fire a 25 mm projectile at 55 rounds per second and carries 220 maximum rounds.

Featured image of F-35B airborne gun test from U.S. Navy Video by Dane Wiedmann

 

This article is courtesy of Fighter Sweep.

About SOFREP News Team View All Posts

The SOFREP News Team is a collective of professional military journalists. Brandon Tyler Webb is the SOFREP News Team's Editor-in-Chief. Guy D. McCardle is the SOFREP News Team's Managing Editor. Brandon and Guy both manage the SOFREP News Team.

COMMENTS

You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.

More from SOFREP

REAL EXPERTS.
REAL NEWS.

Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis.

TRY 14 DAYS FREE

Already a subscriber? Log In