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F-35C fighters complete landing and takeoff trials aboard aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy
Two F-35C Lightning II fighters conducted launch and recovery trials aboard the future USS John F. Kennedy in the Atlantic, marking the type's first landings on a Gerald R. Ford-class carrier. The VX-23 Air Test and Evaluation Squadron aircraft exercised the ship's Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Arresting Gear. Kennedy left its construction yard on September 29 following preliminary technical acceptance, enabling military sea trials and checks of onboard systems before formal service entry. Announced on October 13, the flights constitute aircraft compatibility testing for CVN-79 and a step toward certifying sustained carrier operations with the naval F-35 variant.