The US military is reportedly preparing to take its F-35 stealth fighters into combat for the first time

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September 25, 2018 9:53 PM

The US military is reportedly preparing to take the F-35 into combat for the first time, as the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex may soon be called in to launch strikes in Afghanistan.

The US is reportedly preparing to take its F-35s into battle for the first time, according to CNN.
F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters aboard the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship deployed to the Middle East earlier this month, may soon be called up to launch airstrikes in Afghanistan.
The first reported F-35 combat mission was conducted by Israel in May.

The US is finally ready to take its most expensive fighter jets into battle, as the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters sailing aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex may soon be called to conduct strikes against insurgent forces in Afghanistan, CNN reported Tuesday.

The USS Essex arrived in the Middle East earlier this month. Having already sailed through the Gulf of Aden into the North Arabian Sea, the ship should move into the Persian Gulf in the very near future, a defense official told CNN. The stealth fighters on board have reportedly been conducting intelligence and reconnaissance operations in Somalia, but they have yet to engage an enemy in combat.

While the US Air Force was the first service to declare its version of the F-35 combat ready, it appears the Marine Corps may be the first to take the plane into combat. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni became the first overseas base to operate the F-35 last year.

The F-35B is designed for short takeoffs and vertical landings, giving it the ability to take off from the USS Essex, a ship much smaller than a modern US aircraft carrier. The incorporation of the F-35B, an powerful aircraft built to support the Marine Corps, into the USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) "

Over the years, the F-35 has faced significant criticism, largely due to high costs.

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