The last Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II assigned to developmental flight testing departed Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base on its first flight this past wee.

Known as BF-5, the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet will ferry to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, later this year, where it will join four F-35Bs and one F-35C carrier variant aircraft currently undergoing testing.

The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), integrates advanced very low observable stealth into a supersonic, highly agile 5th generation fighter. The capabilities built into the F-35 Lightning II provide the pilot with unprecedented situational awareness and unmatched lethality and survivability.

While each variant (F-35A, F-35B, F-35C) is uniquely designed to operate from different bases, all three variants set new standards in network-enabled mission systems, sensor fusion, supportability and maintainability.

The world’s most experienced aerospace industry leaders (Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and the Fighter Engine Team - Pratt & Whitney and GE Rolls-Royce) combine sophisticated manufacturing, engineering and technological capabilities to develop the F-35 Lightning II. This, along with global partnerships, has been an integral part of the JSF Program. Setting the stage for reliability and maintainability, the F-35’s built-in sustainment establishes new levels of operational readiness and helps meet the needs across the spectrum of military operations.

With its host of next-generation technologies and unprecedented capabilities, the F-35 is the world’s most advanced multirole fighter.