USS Wasp with F-35B suddenly appeared off the coast of Japan
According to CNN, the super amphibious ship USS Wasp with F-35B stealth fighter suddenly appeared off the coast of Japan.
The source said that on January 7, the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp entered the US 7th Fleet's area of operations and is heading straight to its base at Sasebo port (Japan). Here, the Wasp will replace the USS Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault ship of the same class, in the 7th Fleet's area of operations.
CNN quoted the US Marine Corps (USMC) as saying that it is not a large aircraft carrier fleet with F-35C fighters but an amphibious assault ship fleet with F-35B that will help the US dominate the oceans. And the USS Wasp being deployed to the 7th Fleet is a step towards realizing the US plan.
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| USS Wasp amphibious assault ship. |
To carry out its plan, the USMC has upgraded 12 Wasp-class amphibious assault ships (LHDs) so that these not-so-new ships can replace the old generation AV-8B Harrier II aircraft with the new generation F-35B fighter.
Admiral Jonathan Greenert said the US is modifying the flight deck and runway design of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship series to be able to carry the fifth-generation stealth attack aircraft, short take-off and vertical landing (VTOL) F-35B.
The exhaust model and flight characteristics of the F35B require reinforcement of the ship's load-bearing systems; relocation or removal of some unnecessary equipment to avoid situations where the aircraft can damage the antenna systems, lifeboats, ship's side railings, protective nets and JP-5 fuel stations during take-off, landing or combat operations.
In addition, the high temperature characteristics of the F-35B also require reinforcing the deck, slowing down the jet streams to reduce pressure.
At the same time, the deck coating also had to be changed because the old paint was not resistant to corrosion when exposed to the jet blasts from the belly of the aircraft to create lift. In addition, the USMC also had to install a number of voltage regulators and rectifier systems.
As the F-35B's mission capabilities have been greatly expanded, the Wasp-class amphibious assault ships also need to improve their ammunition storage and transportation systems, as well as update the functionality of other support systems related to naval aviation.
Before these upgrades, a USMC representative said: "Landing ships cannot replace aircraft carriers, but they can play a complementary, supporting role if deployed creatively and can help the US dominate the oceans."