March 26, 2001 -- Ground environment tests conducted during Boeing Joint Strike Fighter X-32B engine runs in Palmdale, CA, confirmed the aircraft's short-takeoff-vertical-landing (STOVL) system operated at acoustic and temperature levels lower than predicted at full-power. The test data verified Boeing met all requirements and provided a safe operating environment for the customer. Boeing lead STOVL test pilot Dennis O'Donoghue, former Marine Harrier pilot, was in the X-32B cockpit for the tests.