Nimitz and Ford Carriers Need Upgrades to Deploy With F-35Cs
By: Ben Werner
June 6, 2019 3:37 PM • Updated: June 7, 2019 6:09 AM
This post has been updated with additional information from the Navy. The service has one aircraft carrier able to deploy with F-35C Lighting II Joint Strike Fighters, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
Currently, the Navy only has one aircraft carrier — either Ford-class or Nimitz-class — that can support the service’s most advanced fighters for a full deployment, service officials told USNI News on Thursday.
Earlier this week, lawmakers expressed their frustration with the Navy for accepting delivery of Ford-class carriers before they can accommodate deploying with F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, while considering the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. But the Navy currently has a single Nimitz-class carrier that can deploy with F-35Cs as well, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
https://news.usni.org/2019/06/06/nimitz-and-ford-carriers-need-upgrades-to-deploy-with-f-35cs