Local MP Alan Mak has thanked RAF pilots who fly the new F-35 fighter jet on board the HMS Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.
He met them during a cockpit demonstration by Lightning Team UK, a collaboration between industry partners working on the F-35 programme, where he received a pilot's eye view in a special hi-tech simulator.
Lockheed Martin is the lead contractor for the F-35, the latest generation stealth fighter jet designed for aerial combat, surveillance and reconnaissance.
The headquarters of the company's UK Rotary and Mission Systems division is at Langstone Park in Havant and staff there play a central role in delivering and maintaining customers' defence capability at home and abroad.
The F-35 is the world's most advanced fighter jet and is operated by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and 20 allies in a global programme of more than 3,000 aircraft.
The programme contributes in excess of £45bn to the British economy, supporting more than 25,000 jobs in more than 500 companies.
As well as experiencing an F-35 cockpit, Mr Mak met Armed Forces personnel who pilot the real thing, which can fly undetected in enemy airspaces at speeds of nearly 2,000kph.
Also at the event in London were representatives of some of the British firms who are part of the supply chain for the F-35 programme.
Mr Mak said: "Thank you to Lightning Team UK for giving me the opportunity to experience what it's like to fly one of these amazing aircraft.
"I'm a big supporter of our Armed Forces and we must provide them with the investment they need to ensure they have the latest equipment.
"That's why I'll continue to call for defence spending to increase to 2.5% of national income by 2030 - a pledge made by the last Conservative Government that the Labour Government has yet to match."
