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A U.S. Navy Bataan-class destroyer has just returned from an extended deployment in Middle Eastern waters where it took part in the ongoing fighting in the Red Sea and is due to head to a shipyard soon for a major overhaul.
The amphibious assault ship, currently docked in New York City for Fleet Week 2024, will undergo a modification to accommodate F-35B Lightning II fighter jets, a move that a senior officer said would be “game-changing” for the ship’s capabilities and future operations.
The Lightning carriers were envisioned as an option to disperse US forces across the Pacific, and while they would not carry as many fighter jets as carriers like the USS Gerald R. Ford (at most 20 versus 50+), they would be cheaper than building an entirely new aircraft carrier and would offer greater versatility thanks to their other capabilities.
But the upgrades will keep the Bataan in the shipyard for more than 600 days. “We need to completely refurbish the flight deck,” the ship’s executive officer, Capt. Trace Head, told Business Insider this week, explaining that “the power demands are different than any aircraft we have on board.”
An F-35B Lightning II fighter jet is stationed on the flight deck of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex. Photo by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Chandler Harrell
“As we transition from the Harrier to the F-35 on these ships, there are certain maintenance activities that have to be done, and it’s all planned and programmed,” said Lt. Gen. Brian Cavanaugh, commander of Marine Corps Command.
Perhaps the biggest upgrade will be to ensure that Bataan can withstand the F-35B’s unique vertical takeoff and landing method, which generates intense heat that can damage the flight deck. The F-35B is designed for short takeoffs and vertical landings and does not require a catapult launch system like the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz- and Ford-class aircraft carriers.
The upgrade will allow the Bataan Fleet to retain its primary amphibious assault capability while also allowing it to commit a limited force of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to combat. These ships are smaller and more versatile in their missions.
Once Bataan is substantially ready to carry the F-35, “it will be an incredible advance in the capabilities we bring to the table, especially from an air-to-air standpoint with the F-35,” Head said. “It will be a game changer.”
An F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 prepares for a vertical landing at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, March 21, 2013. Corporal Ken Kalemkarian/Liberation
The Lightning carrier concept originates from the “Harrier” aircraft carrier that Bataan used in Iraq in 2003. Experts have debated how useful the Lightning carrier would be in a conflict with a major power such as China, but U.S. allies such as Australia, Japan and South Korea are fully pursuing similar ideas, with plans in various stages.
One of the Lightning Carrier’s major advantages is the F-35B’s sensor array, which allows the aircraft to act as a battlefield hub and relay information to friendly forces over a wide area.
Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft operate with the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) in the Gulf of Oman, Aug. 17, 2023. U.S. Navy
The transition from older Harrier fighter jets to F-35 fighter jets could change what missions Bataan serves and for how long.
The large amphibious ship sailed to the Red Sea last fall to deter threats and project American power in the region as the U.S. and its allies engaged the Houthis. At the time, the Bataan didn’t have much actionable intelligence. Increase your fighting power and fight.
“There’s no question at all that the F-35 would have completely changed how we went into the Bataan conflict,” Head said. “If we had the F-35, we might still be there.”
Cavanaugh noted that the F-35 upgrades represent a “giant leap” compared to other aircraft, providing new capabilities and challenges for the force. “We’re bringing in more technology,” he said, and incorporating it will “strengthen our deterrence around the world.”
The F-35B begins a short takeoff from the USS America with external weapons loaded. Lockheed Martin
It remains to be seen where the Bataan will go after it rejoins the force, which is expected to happen around May 2026, but for Head, it’s an exciting prospect to think about what the ship could bring to the force with its new capabilities.
“At our next deployment, we will be the Navy’s most advanced amphibious ship ever to roll out of the shipyard,” he said.