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F-35 LIGHTNING II F-35B into service
“The autopilot in STOVL is truly amazing –
it’s very steady – there’s a lot of science going
on behind you. We hold the aircraft above
the spot, make a few positional corrections,
then push the stick forwards and hit a
button, which captures the optimum rate
of descent and you’re just making small
line-up corrections all the way down.”
Being out on deck, deployed for long
periods, not to mention slapping external
pylons on and performing maintenance
all takes its toll on the stealthy external
surfaces of the F-35. Damaging the skin
is a huge concern, especially as the USMC
aspires to maintain 100% low observable
(LO) integrity for its entire F-35 fleet. All
the squadron’s aircraft are ‘go to war’
assets – there’s no difference between
the way the training squadrons operate
and they way the front line operates.
A detachment of F-35Bs operated
by VMFA-121 ‘Green Knights’ landed
aboard the USS Wasp in the East China
Sea on March 5, 2018. The arrival of
the Lightning IIs marked the start of
the F-35B’s first operational deployment
with a MEU. The F-35Bs were attached
to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron
(VMM) 265 in support of the 31st MEU’s
deployment aboard the ships of Amphibious
Squadron 11 and the Wasp Expeditionary
Strike Group’s Spring Patrol 2018.
VMFA-121 aviators conducted
a series of qualification flightsABOVE: An F-35B conducts test operations on the ight deck of USS ‘America’ (LHA 6)
in November 2016. This embark included the rst live-ordnance mission own from the
amphibious assault ship. Lockheed Martin/Andy Wolfe BELOW: The Dawn Blitz exercise saw
VMFA-211 operating from USS ‘Essex’ (LHD 2). USMC/Sgt April L Price