F-35Bs start Phase III on LHA 6

PACIFIC OCEAN - Five Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighters landed onboard the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) on Oct. 28. America will embark seven F-35Bs -- two for the third shipboard phase of developmental test (DT-III) and five to conduct operational testing. Phase III is to evaluate Short Take-off Vertical Landing (STOVL) operations in a high-sea state, shipboard landings, and night operations. America, the first ship of its class, is an aviation-centric “amphib” that incorporates key designs to accommodate the fifth-generation fighter. (Source: USS America 10/31/16) Gulf Coast Note: USS America was built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss.