Aircraft
Risks in British Switch to Carrier Version of F-35 Identified
Risks arise from the decision by the UK Ministry of Defence to switch its Joint Strike Fighter selection to the F-35C carrier version.
The British have switched from the STOVL version of the F-35 to the carrier version, above, but not without risk, according to a new report. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
The British have switched from the STOVL version of the F-35 to the carrier version, above, but not without risk, according to a new report. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

A report by the UK’s National Audit Office (NAO) has listed some risks arising from the decision by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to switch its Joint Strike Fighter selection from the F-35B STOVL (short takeoff and vertical landing) version to the F-35C carrier version.

The decision was part of a defense review that delayed until 2018 the in-service date of one of two new aircraft carriers to which the MoD was already fully committed. The other new carrier will be kept in reserve or sold. The UK provided much STOVL expertise and nearly $4 billion to help develop the F-35B.