Sailors, assigned to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), celebrated an important milestone this week when F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, assigned to Marine Fighter Squadron (VMFA) 542, landed on the ship’s flight, Feb. 10, 2026. This achievement marks the first time that F-35B Lightning IIs participated in operations aboard Kearsarge. With the addition of the F-35B Lightning II to the ship’s arsenal, the ship will be able to support a wider range of operations critical to the Navy-Marine Corps mission. The F-35B Lightning IIs was introduced into service in 2015 and is operated by the United States Marine Corps with other variants being used by the Navy and Air Force. With the addition of the F-35B Lightning II to the ship’s arsenal, the ship will be able to support a wider range of operations critical to the Navy-Marine Corps mission. With the professionalism and technical expertise of the Sailors and Marines attached to the Kearsarge, the Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) can better support forces on the ground. This historic achievement did not happen overnight. Sailors worked long hours preparing for the evolution. New qualifications had to be earned; training and drills had to be practiced again and again until the department met standards. Kearsarge’s journey from a maintenance period to successfully integrating the F-35B Lightning IIs is an important milestone. It culminates a years-long process of upgrades and modifications enabling us to properly support F-35B Lightning IIs operations.
“Operating the F-35B from the Kearsarge adds real combat capability to Atlantic-based amphibious forces. It gives us the ability to generate fifth-generation effects wherever they’re needed, without delay. That only works because of the professionalism and dedication of the ship’s company and the Marines who maintain these aircraft every day,” said Marine Lt. Col. Jorge Couto, commanding officer of VMFA 542.
“This is a historical and tremendous accomplishment for the Navy–Marine Corps–Kearsarge team. 4Our Sailors have trained tirelessly in preparation to certify our flight deck – all whilst building our combat-credible team, with our integration of the F‑35s. With these enhanced fifth-generation capabilities, the Blue‑Green team always stands together ready to meet the mission—wherever and whenever we are called,” said Capt. Rosie Goscinski, commanding officer of Kearsarge.
“The F-35B Lightning II enhances the full range of ARG capabilities. It is the most capable aircraft to ever support a Marine rifleman on the ground and allows the ARG to support theater wide operations in a peer-level conflict,” said Cmdr. Brian Guest, Kearsarge air boss.
“Kearsarge required extensive modifications throughout the ship to be able to support F-35B Lightning II operations, ranging from significant structural upgrades to the flight deck and to an extensive upgrade to the ship’s combat system suite,” said Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Taylor, mini boss.
“It was a great feeling of accomplishment, seeing the aircraft land on the flight deck for the first time. It started [during a maintenance period]. Air department had to come together, getting people to schools, training drills and more. We had to learn the do’s and don’ts of the aircraft, which is very different from the AV-8B Harrier II. How to tow it, and where we could and couldn’t touch it. Everything was worth it. The long hours, set ups and lay ups. Finally, being able to see the product we invested in was worth it,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Aircraft Handling 1st Class Marcquan Mundy.
“It has been a rewarding experience,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Aircraft Handling 3rd Class Lavarr Jones. “After the long yard period, being able to do my job, with my shipmates in Air Department, has been really great.”
USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) is the third Wasp-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy. She is the fifth ship to bear that name, but the fourth to serve under it. Named in honor of USS Kearsarge, a sloop-of-war that gained fame hunting Confederate raiders during the American Civil War. The sloop was named for Mount Kearsarge in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. The assault support system on the ship coordinates vertical and horizontal movement of troops, cargo and vehicles. A Monorail system, moving at speeds up to 600 ft/min (3 m/s), transports cargo and supplies from storage and staging areas throughout the ship to a 13,600-square-foot (1,260 m2) well deck, which opens to the sea through huge gates in the ship’s stern. There, the cargo, troops and vehicles are loaded onto landing craft for transit to the beach. The air cushion landing craft can “fly” out of the dry well deck, or the well deck can be flooded so that conventional landing craft can float out on their way to the beach. Simultaneously, helicopters can be lifted from the hangar deck to the flight deck by two deck-edge elevators and loaded with supplies from three massive cargo elevators. Kearsarge’s armament suite includes the NATO RIM-7 Sea Sparrow point defense system for anti-aircraft support, RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles, 25-mm chain guns and the Phalanx close-in weapon system to counter threats from low-flying aircraft and close-in small craft. Missile decoy launchers augment the anti-ship missile defenses.
