The AOEW can work independently aboard the helicopter — either the MH-60R, as was tried, or the MH-60S — and can tie back to other systems aboard a vessel.
The first TR-3 F-35's initial checkout flight comes as the Joint Program Office hunts for a way to accelerate deliveries, perhaps using interim software.
The complex simulations at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland were meant to test how well the F-35 would perform in real-world combat scenarios.