Article Posted on : - Jul 19, 2011

The F-35B fighter. A Lockheed photo

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (BNS): The US Marine Corps has received its fifth F-35 Lightning II supersonic stealth fighter from Lockheed Martin.

The F-35B short take off/vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the fifth-generation fighter arrived at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland, on July 16.

The flight test aircraft, designated BF-5, is the seventh F-35 to be delivered in 2011 and the third aircraft delivered to NAS Patuxent River this year, Lockheed said.

The F-35B STOVL variant is set to replace the Marine Corps’ AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18 fighters.