Photo credit: Lockheed Martin photo by Dane Wiedmann Expanding its capability envelope, the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter has compl...
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| Photo credit: Lockheed Martin photo by Dane Wiedmann |
Expanding its capability envelope, the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter has completed firing of an missile while flying upside-down.
An external pylon mounted AIM-9X air to air missile was launched while the F-35 CF-2 was flying inverted over the Patuxent River test range.
Even though the F-35 is not designed for close range air to air combat with an adversary, the missile launch in the inverted negative G conditions will further improve its dogfighting capability.
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| Photo credit: Lockheed Martin photo by Dane Wiedmann |
The AIM-9X is a short-range heat-seeking missile with an "off-boresight" capability for accuracy and features thrust-vectoring controls for increased turn capability. The F-35 can carry two AIM-9X missiles on its wings.
