2011年5月21日，美国马里兰州安德鲁斯空军基地，美国海军第二架（CF-02）F-35C“闪电”II 舰载型系统发展与验证机由埃里克·布斯中尉驾驶在航展日飞越巨大的 C-5 战略运输机。这是联合攻击战斗机首次在航展上公开亮相。（ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (May 21, 2011) An aircraft carrier variant of the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter flies over Andrews Air Force Base, Md., during the Joint Service Open House. This is the first public appearance of a joint strike fighter aircraft at an air show. Lt. Cmdr. Eric Buus piloted the aircraft. The F-35C is a fifth generation strike fighter with stealth capability and has larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for the demanding carrier environment. The aircraft is undergoing test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.）

2011年5月21日，美国马里兰州，美国海军第二架（CF-02）F-35C“闪电”II 舰载型系统发展与验证机由埃里克·布斯中尉驾驶在航展日飞越安德鲁斯空军基地。这是联合攻击战斗机首次在航展上公开亮相。（ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (May 21, 2011) An aircraft carrier variant of the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter flies over Andrews Air Force Base, Md., during the Joint Service Open House. This is the first public appearance of a joint strike fighter aircraft at an air show. Lt. Cmdr. Eric Buus piloted the aircraft. The F-35C is a fifth generation strike fighter with stealth capability and has larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for the demanding carrier environment. The aircraft is undergoing test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.）

2011年5月21日，美国马里兰州，美国海军第二架（CF-02）F-35C“闪电”II 舰载型系统发展与验证机由埃里克·布斯中尉驾驶在航展日飞越安德鲁斯空军基地。这是联合攻击战斗机首次在航展上公开亮相。（ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (May 21, 2011) An aircraft carrier variant of the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter flies over Andrews Air Force Base, Md., during the Joint Service Open House. This is the first public appearance of a joint strike fighter aircraft at an air show. Lt. Cmdr. Eric Buus piloted the aircraft. The F-35C is a fifth generation strike fighter with stealth capability and has larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for the demanding carrier environment. The aircraft is undergoing test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.）

2011年5月21日，美国德克萨斯州沃思堡，美国海军第三架（CF-03）F-35C“闪电”II 舰载型系统发展与验证机首飞。（The third F-35 Lightning II carrier variant flight test aircraft, designated CF-3, launches from Naval Air Station (NAS) Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base on May 21 on the way to completing its first test flight. CF-3 continues its flight testing in Fort Worth, preparing to fly to NAS Patuxent River, Md., later this year. Once there, it will join two other carrier variant aircraft and four short takeoff/vertical landing aircraft as part of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps flight test program.）

2013年6月22日，美国佛罗里达州奥卡鲁沙县，埃格林空军基地迎来第一架 F-35C“闪电”II 联合攻击战斗机。该机是低速初始生产第四批次（32架）中的第一架海军型，编号CF-06，被分配给 VFA-101 战斗攻击机中队，作为舰队替换中队，训练海军的F-35C飞行员和地勤维护人员。（F-35CF-6 Ferry to Eglin AFB.The Navy welcomed its first 5th generation F-35C production aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (EAFB) on Saturday. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered 69 F-35s to the Department of Defense, 26 of which are located at EAFB.）

2011年2月11日，美国海军CF-01号 F-35C“闪电”II 系统发展与验证机在切萨皮克湾进行机体结构和载荷测试飞行。（NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (Feb. 11, 2011) The U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus flew the F-35C for two hours, checking instruments that will measure structural loads on the airframe during flight maneuvers. The F-35C is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control when operating in the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment.）

2013年2月14日，美国德克萨斯州沃思堡联合后备基地，美国海军第一架生产型 F-35C“闪电”II 联合攻击战斗机首飞，该机是低速初始生产第四批次（32架）中的第一架海军型，被分配给 VFA-101 战斗攻击机中队，作为舰队替换中队，训练海军的F-35C飞行员和地勤维护人员，驻守埃格林空军基地。（FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 15, 2013 – The first Lockheed Martin production model F-35C carrier variant, known as CF-6, flew its first sortie Thursday. Upon delivery later this year, the jet will be assigned to US Navy Fighter Attack Squadron 101 (VFA-101) at Eglin AFB, Florida. The unit will serve as the Fleet Replacement Squadron, training Navy F-35C pilots and maintainers. While CF-6 will be the first carrier variant jet assigned to Eglin, it will join a fleet of nine F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jets and 13 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jets already on station.）

2014年5月7日，美国马里兰州帕塔克森特河海军航空站，美国海军 F-35C“闪电”II 系统发展与验证机进行陆基拦阻索降落测试。（CF-03 Flt 137 Fly-in arrestment testing at NAS Patuxent River MD, piloted by LCdr Dyckman,EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. and NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Md, May 29, 2014 – In three separate flight tests on May 27, Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II aircraft demonstrated air-to-air combat capability, completed the first flight test with the next level software load and accomplished a landing at the maximum test speed and drop rate.）

2013年6月25日，美国马里兰州帕塔克森特河海军航空站，美国海军 F-35C“闪电”II 系统发展与验证机飞往新泽西州麦圭尔-迪克斯-莱克赫斯特联合基地。（F-35 carrier variant CF-2 flies to NAVAIR at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., June 25 for Jet Blast Deflector testing.Variant: CF-02; Test Pilot: Eric "Magic" Buus; Flt # 021; Date: 25JUN2011; NAS Pax River; CF-02 Ferry to Lakehurst NJ.）

2013年6月25日，美国新泽西州麦圭尔-迪克斯-莱克赫斯特联合基地，美国海军 F-35C“闪电”II 系统发展与验证机正在降落。（LAKEHURST, N.J. (June 25, 2011) Test pilot Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus lands the F-35C test aircraft CF-2 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. CF-2 and the F-35 integrated test team from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. are at the Naval Air Systems Command facility in Lakehurst for the first jet blast deflector testing in preparation for carrier shipboard testing in 2013. The F-35C is the carrier variant of the three-service Joint Strike Fighter and has larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear to perform in the demanding carrier environment. The F-35C and F-35B are undergoing test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River before eventual delivery to the fleet.）