Mar 24 (NHK) - The US military has shown to the media for the first time F-35B fighter jets deployed in Japan.
The state-of-the art aircraft boasts stealth capabilities. It is also capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings.
The US military started deploying the fighters at its base in the western city of Iwakuni in January last year. It was the jets' first deployment outside the US mainland.
This month 6 of the F-35Bs were deployed on the US Navy's amphibious assault ship the USS Wasp, which is stationed at a base in the southwestern city of Sasebo. The fighters have since been placed under the command of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, southern Japan.
On Friday, media were allowed to view the fighters taking off and landing on the Wasp in the Pacific off Okinawa.
The Wasp is about 250 meters long and has a displacement of more than 40,000 tons. Its appearance is more like an aircraft carrier. It was upgraded so it could launch and land F-35Bs.
The US military is apparently aiming to counter China's advanced maritime activities and to respond to any possible situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The commander of the Expeditionary Strike Group 7, Rear Admiral Brad Cooper, stressed their improved capabilities in northeast Asia.
He praised F-35B's flexible operational capabilities, and called the deployment of the jets on the navy's amphibious force fleet a historic event.
Source: ANNnewsCH
