The Second F-35B ‘Fighter Attack Squadron’ Now Fully Operational In Japan, Trouble For China
New Delhi: Trouble for China has increased as ‘Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) – 242’ is in Fully Operational Capability and about 32 F-35B aircraft have been permanently forward-based as part of the USMC’s Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12, said a media report.
MAG-12 is now the only forward-based unit in the Indo-Pacific with two permanently based F-35B squadrons, owing to the addition of VMFA-242.
The F-35 Lightning II aircraft will soon replace the current tactical aviation fleet, according to USMC (US Marine Corps). The F/A-18 Hornet, EA-6B Prowler, and AV-8B Harrier are among the aircraft currently in service.
The transition occurred according to the annual USMC aviation plan’s timeline. VMFA-242, also known as the Bats, was re-designated as an F-35B squadron on October 16, 2020, and achieved initial operational capability (IOC) last September.
The F-35B is a fifth-generation stealth aircraft designed to operate from amphibious assault ships and short expeditionary airfields. The aircraft is capable of STOVL (short takeoff and vertical landing).
Meanwhile, this milestone also signifies the United States and Japan’s increasing consolidation of defense strategy, particularly with regard to the F-35.
In 2021, a USMC pilot from VMFA-242 successfully landed an F-35B on the Japanese aircraft ship Izumo. This was a momentous occasion since it was the first time a fixed-wing aircraft had landed on a Japanese aircraft carrier since WWII.
Japan intends to purchase up to 105 F-35 fighter jets for their own military. The acquisition of 63 F-35As with conventional takeoff and landing and 42 STOVL variants is in progress.
(Vinayak)
