USMC F-35Bs declared ready for battle

[SteadyMercury]

Marines Declare F-35B Operational

The plane was declared operational by Gen. Joe Dunford, the outgoing Marine Corps commandant — and incoming Chairman of the Joint Chiefs — in a July 31 announcement.

"I am pleased to announce that VMFA-121 has achieved initial operational capability in the F-35B, as defined by requirements outlined in the June 2014 Joint Report to Congressional Defense Committees," Dunford said in a statement. "VMFA-121 has ten aircraft in the Block 2B configuration with the requisite performance envelope and weapons clearances, to include the training, sustainment capabilities, and infrastructure to deploy to an austere site or a ship. It is capable of conducting close air support, offensive and defensive counter air, air interdiction, assault support escort and armed reconnaissance as part of a Marine Air Ground Task Force, or in support of the Joint Force."

My initial thoughts on this was that the weapon load was limited since only Block 2B software, but if you think about it being able to deploy JDAMs and LGBs covers the overwhelming majority of what USMC pilots would gift to targets on the ground, and an F-35B with AMRAAMs is a far superior counter air than the AV-8Bs these are replacing.