The U.S. Navy's F-35C has made its first arrested landing aboard a Ford-class aircraft carrier, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), on October 13, 2026, nearly 7 years after the USS Gerald R. Ford skipped the jet in its own 2020 testing.
Here is why this milestone matters for the Navy's newest carriers, how the Kennedy's sea trials are going, and what testing is still missing.
– The first F-35C arrested landing on a Ford-class carrier
– Why EMALS and the Advanced Arresting Gear delayed F-35C integration
– The Ford's 2020 testing: 16 days, 211 aircraft, 5 types, no F-35C
– The Kennedy's sea trials, preliminary acceptance and spring 2027 delivery
– New radar and upgrades on the Kennedy
– China's Fujian and its catapult launches
Source: The Navy Channel
