Steel Knight 16: A Step for VMFA 121 on the Way to Japan in 2017

12/16/2016
12/16/2016: We have recently interviewed the CO of VMFA-121 in Yuma in early December 2016 and will shortly publish his interview.  But this story from a year ago discusses a milestone to the process of the squadron preparing for its deployment to Japan in 2017. Marines and Sailors with the 3rd Marine…

Shelter for Strike Element Hornets

12/10/2016
12/10/2016: Maintenance personnel with Air Task group 630 are able to escape the heat and distraction on the flightline at Australia's main air operations base in the Middle East. A 4K Hangar - so named because it covers an area of 4000 square feet - has been constructed to allow maintenance…

F-35B Lightning II Completes Operations Aboard USS America (LHA 6): 2

12/09/2016
12/09/2016: PACIFIC OCEAN (NOV. 17, 2016) The F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force (ITF) wrapped up its third and final developmental test phase (DT-III) of the F-35B Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) on November 17. The Pax River ITF’s…

USMC About USS America: The Future is Now

12/09/2016
2016-12-09 : PACIFIC OCEAN (NOV. 17, 2016) The F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force (ITF) wrapped up its third and final developmental test phase (DT-III) of the F-35B Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) on November 17. The Pax River…

F-35B Lightning II Operations Aboard USS America (LHA 6) Wrap Up

12/06/2016
12/06/2016: PACIFIC OCEAN (NOV. 17, 2016) The F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force (ITF) wrapped up its third and final developmental test phase (DT-III) of the F-35B Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) on November 17. The Pax River ITF’s…

The Marines Onboard the USS America: The Remaking of the Amphibious Strike Force

12/05/2016
2016-12-04 By Todd Miller “We’d always say ‘if its really a bad air to air (A2A) threat, get some additional jets up there, get some more capability.’  I have no pause or hesitation that this jet will dominate in an A2A environment, would dominate in a strike environment, dominate in…

The Next Phase for the F-35B: Empowering the Sea-Base

11/29/2016
2016-11-29 By Todd Miller The US Marine Corps (USMC) F-35 program is accelerating rapidly, and deployment is underway. Second Line of Defense had the opportunity to see the progress in action during a “Proof of Concept” demonstration on the USS America off the coast of Southern California November 18-20, 2016.…