An F-35B Lightning II attack jet flies alongside a KC-130J tanker aircraft attached to a refueling drogue during an aerial refueling mission above the East China Sea, Oct. 23, 2018.
The F-35B belongs to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121) and the KC-130J belongs to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152). VMFA-121, part of the Aviation Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is the Marine Corps’ only forward-deployed F-35B squadron – as part of the 31st MEU, the squadron provides fixed-wing attack capabilities across the Indo-Pacific region during Marine Corps and Navy amphibious operations.
The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible force ready to perform a wide-range of military operations across the Indo-Pacific region.
SOUTH CHINA SEA
10.23.2018
Video by Lance Cpl. Angelo Garavito