Friday, March 17, 2017

F-35 test fires European-made missile for first time

F-35 test fires European-made missile for first time: An F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter has conducted its first firing trials of MBDA's Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile.

The flight trials and missile launches, conducted from the U.S. Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland and Edwards Air Force Base in California, were the first by an F-35 of a European-made missile, the company announced this week.

MBDA said they were part of an integration program for its ASRAAM system for British F-35 aircraft.

MBDA, headquartered in Britain, is under contract to produce the infrared-guided air-to-air missile for the F-35s ordered by Britain.