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F-35 fighter jets conduct flight operations aboard USS America in Philippine Sea

Stars and Stripes •
An F-35 goes airborne off the deck of USS America.

An F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242 takes off from the flight deck of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) while conducting flight operations in the Philippine Sea on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Darian Lord/U.S. Navy)

F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 conducted flight operations Monday aboard amphibious assault ship USS America sailing in the Philippine Sea.

America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

Six F-35B Lightning II fighter jets fly in formation over USS America in the Philippine Sea on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.

Six F-35B Lightning II fighter jets fly in formation over USS America in the Philippine Sea on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Sam McNeely/U.S. Navy)

Six F-35B Lightning II fighter fighter jet fly over USS America in the Philippine Sea on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.

Six F-35B Lightning II fighter fighter jet fly over USS America in the Philippine Sea on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Kenneth Melseth/U.S. Navy)

A view out the window of the command center as a fighter jet takes off.

Capt. Ethan Rule, commanding officer of the amphibious assault ship USS America, observes as an F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft takes off from the flight deck on Monday, Feb. 17. (Jeadan Andre/U.S. Navy)

Sailors on deck as an F-35 taxis.

Sailors assigned to USS America taxi an F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 on the flight deck. (Darian Lord/U.S. Navy)

An F-35 is a blur as it picks up speed.

An F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft takes off from the flight deck in the Philippine Sea on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Jeadan Andre/U.S. Navy)

Sailors on deck as an F-35 taxis.

Sailors assigned to USS America taxi an F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 on the flight deck in the Philippine Sea on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Darian Lord/U.S. Navy)

An F-35 takes flight.

An F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft takes off from the flight deck in the Philippine Sea on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Jeadan Andre/U.S. Navy)

F-35 aircraft fly in the distance above the USS America.

Six F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 fly by the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America in the Philippine Seaon Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Jeadan Andre/U.S. Navy)

Sailors watch from above as an F-35B Lightning II taxis in the Philippine Sea on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.

Sailors watch from above as an F-35B Lightning II taxis in the Philippine Sea on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Darian Lord/U.S. Navy)

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