The first production F-35C for the US Navy was delivered to Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101) at Eglin AFB, Florida, on 22 June 2013. VFA-101 will serve as the F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron, training both pilots and maintainers. The aircraft (Navy Bureau Number 168733) joined a fleet of twelve F-35A and thirteen F-35B aircraft already stationed at Eglin. Four additional F-35Cs are scheduled to ferry to Eglin later this year. US Navy test pilot Lt. Cdr. Chris Tabert, who became the first military pilot to fly all three F-35 variants, flew the aircraft on the ferry flight.
