Queen Elizabeth undergoes precision landing system certification
An F-35B prepares to land aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth. (Photo: USN)
NAVAIR completed PALS and JPALS certification for the UK RN aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The US Naval Air Traffic Management Systems Program Office (PMA-213) completed Precision Approach and Landing System (PALS) certification on HMS Queen Elizabeth in March, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced on 16 April.
This marked ‘a critical step in readying the ship for its first operational deployment’ at the head of an RN carrier strike group, NAVAIR added.
PALS includes the AN/SPN-41B Instrument Carrier Landing System, previously installed by PMA-213 under the FMS programme, and the AN/USN-3 Joint Precision and Approach Landing System (JPALS) system.
JPALS is installed on HMS Queen Elizabeth to support the future embarkation of USMC F-35Bs from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211.
Coincidentally, the final certification flights for Queen Elizabeth were completed on the same day that another team from PMA-213 carried out PALS certification for the Italian aircraft carrier Cavour off the US east coast.
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