Fifth-generation F-35C Lightning II aircraft fly more than 12,000 km from the United States to Australia for the first time in the history of the US Army

The US Marine Corps has dispatched a batch of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters to Australia. An event that is the first of its kind in the history of the US Armed Forces.

Four planes from the 314th Fighter Strike Squadron flew more than 12,000 km over the Pacific Ocean from California to Australia. She made four landings during the flight. The entire path took five days.

F-35A Lightning II fighters of the Royal Australian Air Force have previously flown in the United States. But the flight of American fighters to Australia was the first in the history of the US armed forces. announced Maj. Natalie Bacheler, a spokeswoman for the Marine Corps.

The Marine Corps’ 314th Strike Fighter Squadron, better known as the Black Knights, received its first F-35C in January 2020. The fifth-generation fighters replaced the aging F/A-18 Hornet. Two years later, the aircraft were deployed to the Nimitz aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. By the way, there was a fire on the ship recently.

The main air platform for the service is the F-35B fighters. Its short take-off and vertical landing capabilities make it maneuverable for operation from landing craft that often carry Marines.