The Navy’s flight test center at NAS Patuxent River, Md., now has a new $24 million facility with the prime purpose of testing the Navy and Marine Corps versions of the F-35. Under current plans, Pax River will get a flight-test F-35B, the Marine Corps short takeoff and vertical landing variant in early 2008. The Navy’s F-35C carrier-landing variant will follow in 2009. The JSF is not new to Pax River, since the center participated in testing of the demonstration X-35C in 2001.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
