Aviation News
Squadron Leader Jim Schofield from the Royal Air Force is the first pilot from Britain to fly the F-35C. The flight occurred on Feb. 21 at NAS Patuxent River.
[thumb]http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.NAVAIRNewsStory&id=4918[/thumb]
Pakistan has taken delivery of its second batch of two P-3C maritime surveillance planes on Tuesday. Pakistan order six aircraft but the first two were destroyed by terrorists in May last year.
[thumb]http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/21/navy-receives-us-surveillance-aircraft.html[/thumb]
The U.S. Navy is looking at how to dispose its four super aircraft carriers.
[thumb]http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/02/navy-carrier-disposal-proves-challenge-navy-021912w/[/thumb]
An F-35A at Edwards Air Force Base carried out first external weapons test mission on Feb. 16. The weapons load for this mission involved carrying two AIM-9X missiles on the outboard wing stations with two GBU-31s and two AIM-120s inside the two internal weapon bays.
[thumb]http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2012/february/120220ae_f-35a-conducts-external-weapons-test.html[/thumb]
The U.S. Navy plans to decommission VAW-77 on Sept. 30. The unit is based at Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base New Orleans.
[thumb]http://www.nola.com/military/index.ssf/2012/02/belle_chasse_squadron_would_be.html[/thumb]