America's Amphibious Assault Ships Can Now Be Converted Into Light Carriers

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chad Swysgood

Warzone/The Drive: Behold USS America Sailing With A Whopping 13 F-35Bs Embarked Aboard

The Marines are inching closer and closer to executing their "Lightning Carrier" concept that would see amphibious assault ships bristle with F-35Bs.

USS America (LHA-6) is executing "routine operations" in the eastern Pacific, but her complement of aircraft is anything but. Deployed aboard are no less than 13 F-35Bs, and possibly even more stowed away in her hangar deck. This is the closest we've seen the USMC and the "Gator Navy" come to executing the notional "Lightning Carrier" concept, which would see the amphibious assault ships packed with nearly two dozen F-35Bs in the full-on fixed-wing aircraft carrier role. You can read all about this idea in this past feature of ours. It even eclipses the USS Wasp's (LHD-1) cruise to the South China Sea last Spring when it was spotted with ten F-35Bs aboard.

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WNU Editor: I expect all of the U.S. Navy's amphibious ship fleet to now have a few F-35Bs onboard.

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