The fighters belong to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23, known as VX-23. They took part in testing as the carrier approaches its formal entry into service.
John F. Kennedy, designated CVN-79, left the shipyard on September 29 and moved to Norfolk after receiving preliminary technical acceptance. That acceptance cleared the way for military sea trials and checks of onboard systems.
The ship is equipped with electromagnetic catapults, known as EMALS, and the Advanced Arresting Gear system for recovering aircraft. The F-35C tests covered launches and landings aboard the carrier.
USS Gerald R. Ford, the first ship of the class, entered service in 2017. Its operational deployments to date have used air wings whose fighter squadrons operate Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
Plans for U.S. naval aviation call for 413 F-35Cs, with 140 destined for the Marine Corps and 273 for the Navy. Aircraft already delivered have been used extensively in combat, including operations against Iran.
