‘GREEN KNIGHTS’ DEPLOY
MARINE CORPS F-35BS BEGIN FIRST DEPLOYMENT
A
DETACHMENT OF
F 35Bs operated by
Marine ghter attack
squadron VMFA-
‘Green Knights’ landed
aboard the amphibious
assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), which
was operating in the East China
Sea, on March 5. The arrival of the
Lightning IIs marked the start of the
F-35B’s rst operational deployment
with a Marine Expeditionary Unit
(MEU). In support of the 31st MEU’s
deployment aboard the ships of
Amphibious Squadron 11 and the
Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group’sSpring Patrol 2018, the F-35Bs are
attached to Marine medium tilt-rotor
squadron VMM-265.
VMFA-121 aviators conducted
a series of quali cation ights
from the Wasp before the 31st
MEU deployed as part of the
Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group
for follow-on operations in the
Indo-Asia-Paci c region as part
of a routine patrol. A second
deployment will commence in July
when a detachment from VMFA-
embarks aboard the USS Essex (LHD
2) as part of the 13th MEU.F-35Bs of VMFA-121 ‘Green
Knights’ arrive aboard the USS
Wasp (LHD 1) in March.
US Navy/MC3 Michael MolinaALSO
THIS
MONTH...
Hornet retirement
US Navy plans to ‘sundown’
classic F/A-18s. See US NewsTyphoon radar progress
Second E-Scan test aircraft joins
program. See World NewsFIRST JASSM LAUNCH
FOR FINNISH HORNET
THE FINNISH AIR Force (Ilmavoimat)
completed two successful live rings
of the Lockheed Martin AGM-
Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-o Missile
(JASSM) on March 5 and 9 at NAWS
China Lake, California. The tests were
conducted successfully with both
missiles destroying their designated
training targets on the ring range.
The Finnish Air Force transferred two
F/A-18C Hornets to China Lake in
2016 for ongoing trials. The aircraft
will now be own back to Finland
in mid-May.An AGM-158 JASSM drops
away from F/A-18C serial
HN-410 during testing at
NAWS China Lake in March.
Ilmavoimat[NEWS] HEADLINES
06 May 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
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