Nine F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters from the US Marine Corps VMFA-211 squadron embarked on the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth this week, along with eight other RAF F-35Bs. The t Embarkation is part of the first deployment of the British vessel.
Called CSG21 (Carrier Strike Group 2021), the deployment represents the UK's largest naval air task force since the Falklands/Malvinas War in 1982, according to the The Aviationist.
On Sunday (02) and Monday (03), the Royal Air Force fighters took off from RAF Marham air base, while the Americans left RAF Lakenheath, leaving for the aircraft carrier.
The Queen Elizabeth is expected to begin sailing to Far Eastern waters at the end of May. However, before arriving in the region, the aircraft carrier and its strike group will be involved in t Warrior/Strike Warrior exercises, off the coast of Scotland, together with other NATO .
According to UK Ministry of Defense, andThis will be the first time that UK fighter jets have embarked on an operational aircraft carrier since 2010, and it will be the largest number of F-35Bs to sail the seas.
Lightning ⚡ from UK 🇬🇧 and US 🇺🇸
Seahawk from Denmark 🇩🇰Allies stronger together 💪@DK_NATO#WeareNATO pic.twitter.com/svCDOVCIoA
— HMS Queen Elizabeth (@HMSQNLZ) May 4, 2021
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When the vessel is in the Mediterranean Sea, F-35Bs from the Royal Air Force's 617 Squadron, Dambusters Squadron, will participate in Operation Shader missions against Daesh, an Islamic State element, in Iraq and Syria.
“The F-35B Lightning jets will strike a powerful blow against Daesh and help prevent them from retaking a foothold in Iraq. This is a prime example of the UK Armed Forces moving forward with our allies to address persistent threats around the world. It’s Global Britain in action,” says the British Defense Minister, James Heappey.
Whether the USMC's F-35s will their British counterparts in operations against Daesh remains to be seen, however it would not be the first time that the VMFA-211 has seen combat employing the fifth-generation fighters.
In September 2018, operating from a US Navy amphibious assault ship, the USS Wasp, the squadron's F-35B fighters flew the first combat mission with the vertical takeoff and landing version of the F-35, attacking positions of insurgents in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, armed with GBU-32 JDAM bombs and the 25mm cannon pod.
Let's do this. 💪 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 #USNavy Sailors & @USMC with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 @HMSQNLZ at sea off the coast of the United Kingdom. This deployment highlights the global reach of the US and UK armed forces & the defense capabilities of the @NATO alliance. pic.twitter.com/eMvhVvOGMS
- US Navy (@USNavy) May 3, 2021
