Certainly much could be written about the merits of the first-of-its kind F-35B Vertical Take off and Landing aircraft now arming U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships on deployment throughout the world, yet one key fact might seem to eclipse all of the others. … China does not have an equivalent.
F-35B, F-35C, J-31 & Vertical Take-Off
Although China is known to be rapidly developing a carrier-launched variant of its 5th-Generation J-31 aircraft to perhaps rival the F-35B and F-35C when it comes to maritime warfare power projection, there does not appear to be any kind of “vertical take-off” capability resident or emerging within the Chinese military.
This is quite significant, as a vertical take off and “hover” ability brings and entirely new dimension to maritime warfare for a variety of reasons.
Initially and quite simply, it allows a smaller ship such as an amphib to operate with the kind of 5th generation fixed-wing fighter jet support typically thought of as only being possible with aircraft carriers. This means that an amphibious assault operation can now operate with its own organic 5th generation air support.
Should amphibious assault vehicles, ship-to-shore transport landing craft, Osprey helicopters and attack drone vessels all launch from an amphibious ready group, the force would not need to rely upon fighter-jet support from aircraft carriers within striking range.
The USS America, the first in class of the Navy’s now emerging America-class amphibs, has traveled long distances of key deployments carrying as many as 13 F-35Bs on board. The America class amphibs, especially the first two, have been specifically modified and engineered to house and operate F-35Bs.
An ability to “hover” like the F-35B can also bring previously unanticipated advantages to an amphibious assault, given the aircraft’s “drone-like” ability to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Its 360-degree cameras, long-range, targeting technology and on-board computing enable the aircraft to gather and disseminate video feeds of relevance from great distances.
