NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – An F-35C Lightning II, on a nighttime test flight, cuts through the skies over the Atlantic Test Ranges Jan. 23. Marine Corps test pilot Maj. C. R. Clift flew CF-5 for almost an hour, completing evaluation of the aircraft’s landing and taxi lights.

The F-35C carrier variant of the Lightning II is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear to withstand catapult launches and deck landing impacts associated with the demanding aircraft carrier environment. The F-35C is undergoing flight test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet. (Night vision photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)