US Navy Overhauls Carrier Pilot Training: First Landings Now Required in Combat Aircraft

The United States Navy has fundamentally restructured its carrier aviator training program, marking a decisive departure from protocols established over multiple decades. Under the revised framework, naval aviators will now conduct their maiden carrier landings while operating advanced combat aircraft—specifically the F/A-18 Super Hornet or F-35C Lightning II—rather than transitioning through traditional trainer platforms.

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