Marines To Test Lightning Carrier Concept With 20 F-35Bs Aboard USS Tripoli This April
The Lightning Carrier concept has been in the works for years and will effectively see big deck amphibious assault ships turned into light carriers.
BY JAMES DEBOER TYLER ROGOWAY MARCH 18, 2022
Early this coming April, United States Marine Corps F-35Bs from three squadrons will converge aboard the USS Tripoli (LHA-7) to fully test the 'Lightning Carrier' concept. The idea to basically turn big-deck “Gator Navy” amphibious assault ships into light aircraft carriers packed with F-35Bs first emerged five years ago, but it has its roots in AV-8 Harrier operations going back decades. A whopping 20 F-35Bs will be conducting sustained operations followed by surge operations from the USS Tripoli. The event will test the ability of the Marines to operate two full F-35B squadrons from one ship at one time and could have major impacts on what the stealthy jets, and the ships they deploy on, can bring to the fight in the future.
The squadrons that will make up the 20-jet contingent include Yuma-based Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VMX-1), Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211), and VMFA-225. VMX-1 serves as the test squadron for the USMC and has recently been operating from the USS Tripoli doing testing on 'spot 9' at the rear end of the ship’s deck in order to make it a second ‘Unaided Night Landing Spot’ for the F-35B. This could prove crucial to the upcoming Lightning Carrier trials.
VMFA-211 has just recently returned from a historic maiden seven-month deployment onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth where they brought 10 of their jets to fly alongside the “Dambusters” of the Royal Air Force 617 Squadron. Meanwhile, VMFA-225 is the latest squadron to transition to the F-35B from the F/A-18D Hornet, becoming the fifth operational USMC F-35B Squadron. Both VMFA-211 and VMFA-225 have also been executing high-end training as part of the massive Winter Fury ‘22 exercise, which you can read all about here.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44829/marines-to-test-lighting-carrier-concept-with-20-f-35bs-aboard-uss-tripoli-this-april
