( CNN ) -- A combination of old and new hooked up off the coast of San Diego Monday to give the U.S. Navy a glimpse into its future . The moment was the first arrested landing aboard an aircraft carrier for the military 's new Joint Strike Fighter , the F-35C Lightning II . An arrested landing means the jet was brought to a stop using a tailhook grabbing a wire stretched across the carrier 's deck . The wire is attached to a gear system that brings the plane to a stop . `` This will be one landing out of thousands more that will happen over the next few decades , '' Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan , executive officer of the Pentagon 's F-35 program , said in a statement . Monday 's landing came aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz , the oldest active carrier in the Navy 's fleet . `` I 'm very excited to see America 's newest aircraft on the flight deck of her oldest aircraft carrier , '' said Navy Cmdr . Tony Wilson , the test pilot who landed the F-35C aboard the Nimitz . Carrier turns donor : USS Enterprise gives anchor to USS Lincoln . Tests of the F-35C aboard the carrier will continue for a few weeks , the Navy said . It is expected to be operational in the Navy 's carrier air fleet in 2018 , joining F/A-18E/F Super Hornets , EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft , E-2D Hawkeye control aircraft , MH-60R/S helicopters and Carrier Onboard Delivery logistics aircraft , according to a Navy statement . The F-35C is just one version of the aircraft that the Pentagon has developed for use by the Marines and Air Force as well . The F-35B , the Marine Corps version , is equipped with short take-off and vertical landing capability and began testing aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp in 2011 . The F-35 was developed at a cost of nearly $ 400 billion so far and beset for years by cost overruns and delays . The plane 's primary contractor , Lockheed Martin , puts the cost of each F-35C -- the most expensive of the three versions -- at $ 116 million , not including the engine . The company says on its website that the price has dropped 55 % since the initial planes were contracted . Engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney said last month it has been awarded a contract worth just over $ 1 billion for a batch of 48 engines for the F-35 . The Pentagon ultimately wants more than 2,400 of the fighter jets , while hundreds more are expected over time to go to allies such as South Korea , Japan and Australia . More than 100 planes have been built so far , most for testing , but the program is still in its development and training phases . The jets were temporarily grounded earlier this year following a fire on the runway at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida . No one was hurt . The military says the stealth fighter will be `` the most affordable , lethal , supportable and survivable aircraft ever to be used '' by so many services worldwide . Navy 's future : Electric guns , lasers , water as fuel .
An F-35C lands aboard the USS Nimitz . The Navy hopes to have the jet operational by 2018 . Hide Caption 1 of 9 Photos:U.S. military's fighter fleet