Watch F-35B Fighter Aircraft Landing On USS Tripoli For The First Time
An F-35B Lightning II aircraft of Marine Strike Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 122 landed on the flight deck of the USS Tripoli. This was the first time that an F-35B fifth-generation fighter landed on the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli.
The crew of the Tripoli has been steadily training flight operations with VMFA-122 which led to the fixed-wing certification for the ship.
USS Tripoli (LHA-7) is the second America-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy. This ship was launched on the 1st of May 2017 and it was commissioned in July 2020. It has a length of 844 ft and has a speed of 22 knots.
Tripoli’s commanding officer Capt. Joel Lang said, “This is what Tripoli was built for, The crew and supporting organizations have worked incredibly hard to get us to the point where we can launch and recover aircraft, rising to every challenge the Navy has put before them since we commissioned. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished.”
Bringing this fighter jet on the ship required a lot of coordination between the Tripoli crew and the marines who operate the fighter.
“It was an honor to support Tripoli in accomplishing such an important event,” said Maj. Randy Brazile, the landing signal officer embarked from VMFA-225. “The Marines and pilots from VMFA-122 and (Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron) VMX-1 are excited to see Tripoli achieve its fixed-wing flight certification.”
“The crew has sacrificed time away from their families and friends to accomplish our mission,” said Lang. “Days like today prove that the time those families have given us isn’t wasted.”
Watch the video of F-35B Lightning II landing on the ship.
