Page 69 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

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Lightning Force
L L L g n ng o c hree F-35Bs departed RAF Marham,
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Norfolk on October 9 bound for Marine
Corps Air Station Beaufort, South
Carolina, as the UK Lightning Force took the
next steps towards re-establishing a British
carrier strike capability. Seeing them off, RAF
Marham Station Commander Gp Capt Jim
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a a
at sea Beck told AFM: “Today we’ve sent three aircraft
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from Nos 617 and 207 Squadrons, which will
complement three aircraft from No 17 Test
and Evaluation Squadron [TES] based at
Edwards AFB [California], that will augment a
package that’s going to embark HMS Queen
Elizabeth as part of the operational test phase
of the ship’s development.” He added: “This
has always been the programme of record
where we are going to start the process of
linking the F-35 with the ship, [but] not in a
developmental test phase. This is all about
operational warfighting ability, ready to declare
IOC [Initial Operating Capability] Maritime.”
The jets were leaving to participate in the
WESTLANT 19 Carrier Strike Group (CSG)
deployment, with British F-35s embarking
the UK’s new aircraft carrier for the first time
for a period of operational testing (OT-1) off
the eastern seaboard of the US. The Marham
element included the three jets plus around
70 personnel from across the two resident
squadrons to augment a similar number of
personnel and three F-35Bs from No 17 TES,
coming in the opposite direction from Edwards.
Beck said that WESTLANT is about validating
Beck said that WESTLANT is about validating
both the tactics and the training syllabus for
both the tactics and the training syllabus for
carrier operations. It will include operationally
carrier operations. It will include operationally
realistic end-to-end testing of a multitude
realistic end-to-end testing of a multitude
of factors, such as weapons employment.
of factors, such as weapons employment.
Four jets initially joined the
Four jets initially joined the Queen
Elizabeth
Elizabeth as she sailed off the east
coast of the US on October 13.
coast of the US on October 13.
First to land was ZM138/BK-4
First to land was ZM138/BK-4
flown by Officer Commanding
flown by Officer Commanding
No 17 TES, Wg Cdr Adam Curd.
No 17 TES, Wg Cdr Adam Curd.
This was followed by the three
This was followed by the three
Marham jets, comprising ZM148/
Marham jets, comprising ZM148/
BK-14, ZM149/BK-15, and ZM151/
BK-14, ZM149/BK-15, and ZM151/
BK-17. Wg Cdr Curd commented:
“This is the first time I have landed on board
an aircraft carrier – for it to be HMS Queen
Elizabeth and in an aircraft as amazing as a
UK Lightning is quite something. This is a
proud moment not only for me, but the wider
team that has brought us to this milestone
for maritime aviation and UK defence.”
The four jets began generating sorties
from the carrier, with the first take-off being
performed by Lt Cdr Matt Fooks-Bale in ZM151.
Two additional aircraft from No 17 TES joined
the carrier on October 23 (thought to be
ZM135/BK-1 and ZM136/BK-2). The six aircraft
will remain embarked for the duration of OT-1,
which was planned to last until the end of
November, but was viewed as a ‘moveable feast’ .
Realising the vision
OT-1 is a progression of last year’s developmental
trials (DT) that saw test-fleet F-35Bs from
Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland,
embarking on the Queen Elizabeth, where they
conducted 500 take-offs and landings over an
11-week period at sea. OT-1 comprises mission
planning, arming the aircraft using the ship’s
Highly Automated Weapon Handling System,
www.Key.Aero #381 December 2019 // 67
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