The U.S. Navy gas released footage showed impressive U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighter jet launch from aboard the U.S. Navy Amphibious Assault Ship USS Wasp while operating in the Coral Sea.
The “B” variant of the F-35 is the only one capable of short take-off and vertical landing. The STOVL capability allows the F-35B to launch from and land on amphibious assault ships like the Wasp, greatly increasing the F-35B’s range and deployability.
The F-35B combines a variety of specialized capabilities in one aircraft, such as stealth, electronic attack, advanced sensors technology and high payload capacity, all while maintaining the agility that fighters are known for. The resulting flexibility allows a lone F-35B to accomplish missions that would otherwise require multiple aircraft.
With advances in sensors and networking technology, the F-35B is able to share a superior picture of the battlefield with other pilots flying different platforms like the F/A-18 Hornet or AV-8B Harrier. The result is a force-multiplying effect for the Marine Corps’ existing fleet of aircraft that illuminates the battlefield for all friendly pilots in the sky.
U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft conducted flight operations in expeditionary strike training from the USS Wasp (LHD 1) in the Coral Sea.
Wasp, flagship of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, with embarked 31st MEU, participated in Talisman Sabre 2019 exercise off the coast of Northern Australia. A bilateral, biennial event, Talisman Sabre is designed to improve U.S. and Australian combat training, readiness and interoperability through realistic, relevant training necessary to maintain regional security, peace and stability.