Marine Corps pilots from Miramar flew F-35C Lightning II stealth jets in combat for the first time, striking Houthi weapons storage facilities in Yemen, the Navy reported Wednesday.
The jets from Fighter Attack Squadron 314 aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln carried out the attacks last week, after which the San Diego-based aircraft carrier left the region.
The “C” model of the fifth-generation fighter has folding wings and carries more fuel to fly from aircraft carriers. The Marines also fly the “B” model, which can take off from short runways and land vertically. The Air Force flies the “A” model.
“The F-35C demonstrated its warfighting advantage by transiting contested airspace and striking targets in the heart of Houthi territory over multiple days,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey “Wiki” Davis, commanding officer of the squadron. “My Marines are honored to be first to fight with the F-35C.”
The facilities targeted by the Marines housed anti-ship missiles and other weapons used by the Iranian-backed Houthis against U.S. and international military and civilian vessels navigating international waters in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The “Black Knights” of Fighter Attack Squadron 314 transitioned from the F-18 Hornet to the F-35C in 2020, making them the first fleet squadron in both the Navy and Marine Corps to operate the aircraft. The squadron was also the first to fly the F-4 Phantom and F-18.
