The US Air Force (USAF) will begin training on F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft before the end of the year.
The new JSF programme executive officer Vice Admiral Dave Venlet said thewould will receive 20 F-35A-model conventional take-off variant aircraft with block 1 training software for the training.
The programme will conduct an abbreviated informal test prior to handing over the new fighters.
The test will provide an independent evaluation to the services to assess the performance of the new fighter in the real world though it will not be a ‘full operational test’.
The aircraft’s helmet-mounted display, which has not been able to provide images in the expected manner, has been an area of concern for the USAF, however, the programme is looking at short-term alternatives.
The F-35 uses the distributed aperture system where images from six infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft’s fuselage are displayed in the pilot’s visor, reports DefenseNews.
