ISLAMABAD – The U.S. Marine Corps has deployed an unspecified number ofadvanced F-35 stealth fighter aircraft armed with laser-guided bombs to thePhilippine Sea for a training exercise, Indo-Pacific Command saidWednesday.
“U.S. @PacificMarines with @31stMEU assigned to @USPacificFleet amphibiousassault ship USS America #LHA6 unleash F-35 fighter aircrafts armed withGBU-49 bombs in the Philippine Sea. #SemperFI #Lethality #FlyMarines,” thecommand wrote on Twitter.
It said in a follow-on tweet that the forces were engaged in “conductingroutine training with the F-35s aboard the USS America.”
“Thank you and we apologize for the confusion #FreeandOpenIndoPacific,” itsaid.
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The USS America is an amphibious assault ship capable of carrying aircraftincluding attack jets and infantry transportation aircraft like the V-22Osprey.
The drill comes amid continually high tensions between the U.S. and Chinaas Washington seeks to maintain what it calls freedom of navigation in theregion while Beijing seeks to impose restrictions based on what it says areits claims to the waterways. – Anadolu Agency
