Watch: F-35 Fires AIM-9X Missile Inverted

The F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter has completed firing of an AIM-9X infrared-guided missile while flying upside-down

Watch: F-35 Fires AIM-9X Missile Inverted

Photo Credit: Lockheed Martin

An external pylon-mounted AIM-9X air-to-air missile was launched while the F-35 CF-2 was flying inverted over the Patuxent River test range. 

Even though the F-35 is not designed for close range air-to-air combat with an adversary, the missile launch in the inverted negative G conditions will further improve its dogfighting capability.

 

[Source: Aviation Analysis]