Night SRVL performed on HMS Prince of Wales by F-35 test team
NewsNovember 02, 2023
WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN. An F-35 test pilot achieved a milestone with the execution of the first night shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) on the HMS Prince of Wales, according to a statement from Naval Air Systems Command.
The nighttime maneuver, part of the ongoing developmental test phase 3 (DT-3), was carried out aboard the U.K.'s latest aircraft carrier in the Atlantic. The SRVL, a technique allowing F-35B aircraft to land with heavier loads, marks an advancement in operational capabilities, the statement reads.
Major Paul Gucwa of the U.S. Marine Corps conducted the landing under the "heart of the envelope" conditions, which denote the safest known parameters for carrier qualifications, NAVAIR says.
The ongoing trials aboard the 65,000-tonne vessel contribute data, aiming to boost the operational scope of the carrier, as well as the integrated capabilities of the aircraft, the statement adds.
