The Marine Corps is set to activate its second squadron of F-35C Lightning II strike fighters for operation from the Navy’s fleet of aircraft carriers.
The “C” version of the stealth fighter, with longer wings, stronger landing gear and greater fuel capacity, is also flown by Navy pilots.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311, which previously flew the now obsolete AV-8B Harrier II, will be reactivated on Friday at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, according to reports in military media.
The first squadron of the new combat jets, VMFA 314, completed its first deployment aboard a carrier on the USS Abraham Lincoln last August.
The Marines also fly the “B” version, which can take off from amphibious assault ships or short island runways and land vertically.
