V/stol Year In Review

摘要

Lockheed Martin's short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version of the Joint Strike Fighter -the F-35B Lightning II - made its inaugural flight on June 11, 2008. Beginning in 2012 the new STOVL fighter will begin service with the US Marine Corps, with an initial operational capability (IOC) of 340 F-35B's. The Royal Air Force and Royal Navy plan to put another 138 F-35B's in service, and the Italian Air Force and Navy are expected to purchase still more of the STOVL variant - the world's first STOVL aircraft to combine stealth with supersonic speed.