F-35B

USS America Will Head to Japan to Serve as Next Forward-Deployed Amphibious Flagship

The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) steam in formation while participating in a photo exercise in the Arabian Gulf on Nov. 28, 2017. US Navy photo.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship will replace the service’s oldest as the forward-deployed big deck in the Pacific.

USNI News previously reported that USS Wasp (LHD-1) would be coming back to the East Coast sometime later this year, after...

https://news.usni.org/2019/01/17/uss-america-to-japan

Top Stories 2018: Marine Corps Operations

An F-35B Lightning II assigned to the “Avengers” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 sits on the flight deck of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) on March 7, 2018. US Navy Photo

The Marine Corps spent 2018 preparing the force for a new era of warfare, modernizing how it conducts its business in ways large and small.

Arguably the biggest headline for the service this year was the first deployment of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter on a routine Amphibious Ready...

https://news.usni.org/2018/12/25/top-stories-2018-marine-corps-operations

USS John C. Stennis, USS Essex Conduct Joint Operations In Arabian Sea

An F-35B Lightning II, attached to the “Avengers” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, launches from the flight deck of Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2). Navy photo.

The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) started integrated operations in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, supporting operations in Afghanistan.

“Carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups are inherently flexible maneuver forces, and these high-end...

https://news.usni.org/2018/12/13/39636

Pentagon Awards $6 Billion Contract Modification To Keep F-35 Production Rolling

Two Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, transit the Pacific Ocean on Jan. 9, 2017. US Marine Corps Photo

The Pentagon modified its current F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter contract with Lockheed Martin to include an additional $6 billion intended to keep the production line going as details of a future contract are negotiated.

The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) announced the deal late Wednesday. The new funding...

https://news.usni.org/2018/11/14/pentagon-awards-6-billion-contract-modification-keep-f-35-production-rolling

Fabrication Begins on Future Big Deck USS Bougainville

An artist’s rendering of the LHA-8 amphibious assault ship. Huntington Ingalls Industries image.

Fabrication of the future USS Bougainville (LHA-8) started at the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss following a successful pre-production review, Naval Sea Systems Command announced on Tuesday.

Bougainville, an America-class amphibious warship, is part of a program replacing the original five Tarawa-class LHAs which are all now decommissioned. HII was awarded a $3...

https://news.usni.org/2018/10/16/fabrication-started-on-future-uss-bougainville-lha-8

80 Percent of F-35s Cleared to Resume Flight Operations

Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Heritage Flight Team pilot and commander, performs a tactical pitch maneuver in an F-35A Lightning II during the California Capital Airshow on Sept. 23, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif.

After being grounded last week, 80 percent of the operational U.S. and international F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter variants are now cleared to resume flight operations, following a fleet-wide fuel line inspection.

The entire F-35 enterprise halted flight operations Thursday so...

https://news.usni.org/2018/10/15/f-35-cleared-37271

All F-35s Grounded for Engine Inspections Following Crash Investigation Findings

Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) John Jacob directs an F-35B Lightning II with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) on March 5, 2018. US Navy Photo

THE PENTAGON — All U.S. and international variants of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter are grounded to conduct a fleet wide inspection of a part in the aircraft’s engine, according to a Thursday morning statement.

“The action to perform the inspection is driven...

https://news.usni.org/2018/10/11/f-35s-grounded-engine-inspections-following-crash-investigation-findings

F-35B Crashes Near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort; Local Sheriff Says Pilot Ejected Safely

An F-35B launches off the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) on March 11, 2018. US Navy Photo

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

A Marine Corps F-35B crashed near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina today, according to media reports.

The Hilton Head Island Packet newspaper reported that a military plane crashed five miles from the air station.

According to a tweet from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s office, the pilot of the...

https://news.usni.org/2018/09/28/breaking-f-35b-crashes-near-marine-corps-air-station-beaufort

Marines’ F-35B Joint Strike Fighter Conducts First-Ever Combat Mission over Afghanistan

U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), stage ordnance before loading it into an F-35B Lightning II aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) in preparation for the F-35B’s first combat strike, Sept. 27, 2018. US Marine Corps photo.

The Marine Corps’ F-35B Joint Strike Fighter has conducted its first-ever combat strike, completing a mission in Afghanistan today in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

The jet “conducted...

https://news.usni.org/2018/09/27/36885

High-End Exercise Valiant Shield 2018 Features Joint Strike Fighters, 15,000 Personnel

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) leads a formation of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 ships as U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft and U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets pass overhead for a photo exercise during Valiant Shield 2018 on Sept. 17. US Navy photo.

This post has been updated to correct the hull number of the former USS St. Louis. It’s LKA-116, not LKA-117.

The high-end biennial Valiant Shield exercise kicked off in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands on Sunday, with some of...

https://news.usni.org/2018/09/18/high-end-exercise-valiant-shield-2018-features-f-35bs-12-ships-15000-personnel

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