Joanna Crews
Norway’s defense ministry has concluded the verification procedure for a drag chute system of the F-35 aircraft Lockheed Martin built for the Norwegian air force.
The verification occurred Friday at Orland Air Force Base as the U.S. Air Force‘s conducted an F-35A cold-weather test round at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, Lockheed said Tuesday.
Lockheed delivered the first three fighter jets to the Norwegian government in November.
Art Sheridan, Lockheed’s drug chute system program manager, said the deployment of the system in Norway culminates many years of collaborative design, production, test and sustainment efforts.
The chute is designed to facilitate deceleration of F-35s after the aircraft lands on icy runways under challenging wind conditions.
Maj. Gen. Morten Klever, director of the F-35 program at the Norwegian defense ministry, said he expects the aircraft’s weapons system to fully qualify for Arctic operations by spring.
