This specialized F-35 variant was made just for the U.S. Navy and it s now carrier-capable.
Here s What You Need to Remember: The F-35C was developed to be the U.S. Navy s first low-observable carrier-based aviation platform, and it is replacing the Navy s F/A-18C/D Hornets as the carrier strike group s (CSG s) primary offensive fighter. The multirole F-35C can also be employed for close air support, ground-attack missions, and aerial defense of the CSGs.
In December 2020 the United States Marine Corps first carrier-capable squadron of F-35C Lightning II fighter jets reached initial operational capability, a key certification ahead of its first deployment on an aircraft carrier. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 became the first Marine Corps squadron to transition to the F-35C variant of the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter after retiring its legacy F/A-18A/C Hornets earlier in the year.
Block 4 is also expected to include integration of country-specific weapons requested by foreign F-35 operators.
Here s What You Need To Remember: The forthcoming ability of a frontline F-35s to penetrate hostile airspace with little warning, and potentially deliver a tactical nuclear weapon will surely become a factor in any adversary’s military calculations, for better or worse.
After years of expensive development, the first fully combat-capable Block IIIF F-35 stealth fighter are due to enter service in 2019. However, the Pentagon is already looking ahead to adding dozens of additional capabilities to a follow-up model called the Block 4 an upgrade so ambitious, its already budgeted to cost a whopping $16 billion.