U.S Marine Corps Get Three F-35B Aircraft

Lockheed Martin has delivered three F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps today. The three jets are assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 residing with the host Marine Aircraft Group 13. For more than 50 years, it has been our mission to support the Marine Corps mission, and we're honored to deliver the first three F-35B STOVL aircraft to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121," said Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin chairman and chief executive officer. "The F-35B is the world's only 5th generation, supersonic, stealthy combat aircraft that can also hover, take off and land virtually anywhere Marines are in action. Through the hard work and dedication of the military and contractor team, the F-35B will define the future of Marine Corps aviation". The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least nine other countries.