Кстати, британцы будут покупать вариант F-35C для авианосца Queen Elizabeth
Вариант F-35B купили именно для испытаний и разработки тактики его применения.
Lt Matt Fooks-Bale, a former Harrier pilot and weapons instructor now on the carrier strike staff at Fleet Headquarters, added:
“The sooner we get involved in testing, the better.
“It’s important to learn how to ‘fight’ the F35, how to develop tactics. In a Harrier you would spend half your time simply flying the aircraft. That’s not the case on the F35.
“Getting our hands on BK-1 means we should be at the top of our game when the F35C is delivered, having had time to learn about the aircraft.”