Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 (VMFA-242), an F-35B Lightning II squadron, is currently participating in joint exercises with partner nations in the Indo-Pacific.
Earlier this week, F-35B Lightning IIs with “Bats” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 (VMFA 242) conducted operations aboard the UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. These flights come ahead of Exercise Talisman Sabre, a bilateral training exercise between the United States and Australia, with 11 other nations invited to participate. These partners, which range from the United Kingdom and Germany to Tonga and Fiji, stand “united to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
What Makes the F-35 Suitable for This Exercise?
VMFA 242 is currently embarked on the USS America (LHA-6) with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, one of the participants in the upcoming exercise. This is not the first time the squadron has conducted launches and recoveries from a foreign vessel. In October 2021, aircraft from the Bats were observed training aboard the Japanese destroyer JS Izumo.
The F-35B is uniquely suited to operating with partner nations. It is the only variant of the Lightning II with Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL) capability. The other maritime variant, the F-35C, operated by the Navy and Marine Corps, requires carriers capable of conducting Catapult Assisted Takeoff / Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) flight operations. Currently, only the United States and France possess carriers with this capability.
Like its sister variants, the F-35B is recognized for its stealth attributes, range, versatility, and advanced electronic warfare and avionics. The fighter features a reduced radar cross-section coated in radar-absorbent materials that enable it to remain virtually undetected by adversarial aircraft. In terms of range and speed, the F-35B is top-notch. The F-135-PW-100 engines power the fifth-generation fighter, allowing it to fly at speeds in excess of Mach 1.6 (around 1,200 mph). These engines provide 40,000 pounds of maximum propulsion, giving the platform a range of 1,200 nautical miles.
The HMS Prince of Wales Is Participating in the Exercise
The Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales is the second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier in the fleet. This hefty warship displaces roughly 65,000 tons and features an expansive flight deck that can properly launch a variety of both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. In addition to being able to launch the F-35 Lightning II, the Merlin Mk2 helicopter platform and the Wildcats can also operate from the flight deck. Two Rolls-Royce Marine Trent MT30 36MW gas turbine generator units power the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers, unlike the nuclear power sources that are equipped on the American-made Nimitz ships.
The Prince of Wales began its F-35B flight trials back in 2023. As detailed by the former Royal Navy Capt. Richard Hewitt upon the conclusion of the trials, “The last four weeks at sea have been the busiest HMS Prince of Wales has ever seen,” adding that “The F-35B perform[ance] the first ever night SRVL was amazing and a real testament to the integration of the F-35 team and my ship’s company.”
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
