World’s first supersonic short-takeoff and vertical-landing fighter trains in Hawaii

There’s a whole lot of amphibious assault training going on in Hawaii.

Marines and sailors with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Essex amphibious ready group out of California arrived in Hawaii for final training as the unit heads out on a Western Pacific and Middle East deployment.

The training marks the first appearance of the Marine Corps F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing fighter in Hawaii, the Corps said.

The amphibious force, which includes the Essex, USS Anchorage and USS Rushmore, is not part of Rim of the Pacific exercises.

Twenty-five nations, 46 ships, five submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 27 to Aug. 2 mainly around Hawaii but also in Southern California.

The F-35B, the world’s first supersonic short takeoff and vertical landing stealth aircraft, is seen as a game-changer in the Pacific, where its ability to operate from austere locations without long runways is a challenge to long-range Chinese missiles.

The F-35Bs are operating with Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptors — another stealth jet — far out at sea, the Marine Corps said.

This morning, amphibious assault vehicles from the group hit Bellows and big troop- and equipment-carrying hovercraft landed on the Marine Corps base. A long-range “raid” was practiced using MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, with a landing at Bellows.

The United States, Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines have amphibious ships in this year’s RIMPAC.