Can you imagine an amphibious assault ship capable of carrying 20 F-35B Lightning II? That’s a lot of firepower at the disposal of the most lethal military force known to man. With the US Marine Corps’ recent proof of concept for the F-35B short takeoff, vertical landing variant aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America, “the most powerful concentration of combat power ever put to sea in the history of the world” has been produced.
Indeed the America is the U.S.’s newest amphibious assault ship, designed for waging war on beaches and coastal zones with the F-35 Lightning II revolutionary technologies in mind.
Both the America-class and the F-35 programs have faced criticisms, sometimes harshly, for their departure from traditional warfare roles, among other things. But lately these programs seem to be shaping up nicely. The America abandons well decks, or the space to launch landing vessels to take beaches, in favor of increased hangar space to haul and maintain more aircraft. In its most plane-heavy configuration, the USS America is capable of carrying up to 20 F-35B Lightning II fighter jets. Do you think anyone would want a piece of that?
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