USS Wasp with F-35B suddenly appeared off the coast of Japan
According to CNN, the 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 statement of the US Marine Corps (USMC) saying that it is not the large aircraft carrier fleet with F-35C fighter jets but the amphibious assault ship squadron with F-35B that will help the US dominate the oceans. And the deployment of the USS Wasp to the 7th Fleet is a step to realize 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 takeoff and vertical landing (VTOL) F-35B.
The exhaust model and flight characteristics of the F35B require the 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 takeoff, landing or combat.
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 had to be changed because the old paint was not resistant to corrosion when exposed to the jet blasts from the aircraft's belly to create lift. In addition, the USMC 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 storage and ammunition transport 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."