With the Introduction to Service of the F-35B Lightning II jets starting to ramp up, and the first carrier construction at an advanced stage, the manufacturers Lockheed Martin brought a F-35B cockpit simulator to London.
The simulator provided visitors with the unique opportunity of flying the aircraft and seeing its capabilities first hand as well as meeting some of the military pilots who are currently flying the aircraft.
Admiral Sir George Zambellas, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval staff, visited the demonstration and experienced what it is like to be a pilot of a fighter jet.
The UK is procuring the F-35B Lightning II to come in to service in 2018 as part of its Carrier Enabled Power Projection capability and Combat Air fleet.
The aircraft and the Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier will represent a significant step up in capability for the UK and will be a critical and strategic asset supporting all three Armed Services.
UK industry is also heavily involved in the design, development and manufacture of the global fleet of F-35 aircraft, with over 500 suppliers in the supply chain and many thousands of jobs.
The RAF and Royal Navy have been operating the F-35B in the US since 2012 as part of the Introduction into Service programme and the first operational squadron will form in 2016 and start training in the USA, with the squadron size growing over the following two years as aircraft are delivered.
Image: Royal Navy