A US Marine Corps (USMC) F-35B STOVL fighter jet performed its maiden flight with two AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) with under-wing carriage.
The flight test is a part of the USMC’s campaign to integrate new weapons into the F-35B. AGM-158C is too large to be carried internally in F-35 B’s shortened internal bays, so the carriage is only possible through external stores.
Previously, a USMC F-35B was used in an internal carriage test for the modified version of MBDA Meteor ramjet-powered BVRAAM. The modified version has clipped wings to be carried in internal bays and is inert for test purposes. The test was a joint work of the USMC, the U.K., and Italy, as the latter two are the parties desiring to use the missile onboard their F-35Bs. The U.K.’s F-35Bs are fielded onboard Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, while Italy will field the fighters on its new Trieste LHD.
