USS Wasp: Inside a powerful fighter ship taking part in joint-military training exercise

We take you on board the powerful fighter ship USS Wasp, which is floating off the coast of Central Queensland as part of Australia’s largest joint-military training exercise, Talisman Sabre.

THE 13,300kg fighter jet hovers over the ship’s runway as if buoyed by a cushion of air.

A gentle drop of a few metres and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter has landed on the deck of the amphibious assault ship, the USS Wasp, floating off the coast of Central Queensland.

In pictures: Inside stealth fighter ship USS Wasp

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It has just completed a mission as part of Australia’s largest joint-military training exercise, Talisman Sabre, which kicked off on July 11 at Shoalwater Bay in Central Queensland.

While some other jets that land on ships are stopped within three seconds by a cable spread across the deck of the vessel, the joint strike fighter needs no such help, even when it’s at its heaviest of 27,000kg.

Marines on USS Wasp preparing for the assault. Picture: Peter Wallis

More than 8000kg of that comprises bombs and weapons.

Also known as the F-35B and only fully operational with the US military since 2015, the jets are touted as similar to the Royal Australian Air Force’s newest acquisitions, the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

Australia’s first two of an anticipated 72 F-35A’s started flight operations out of RAAF Base Williamstown in January, but RAAF Group Captain Stephen “Chaps” Chappell said they were not involved with Talisman Sabre.

On board the USS Wasp. Picture: Peter Wallis

“They’re not participating in this particular exercise but they are already flying and exercising with us, separate to Talisman Sabre,” he said last week.

“We have F-35B — US Marine Corps — in Exercise Talisman Sabre. They’ll be achieving a very similar effect to our F-35’s and will be launching from the USS Wasp.”

Grp Capt Chappell said the new jets, which will replace Australia’s F/A 18 Hornets, would complement existing aircraft, making the RAAF more lethal and more effective in getting control of the air and helping joint forces.

Unlike like the F-35A’s, the F-35B’s have the ability to complete vertical take offs and landings, an ideal function for landing on an aircraft carrier or when there’s a short runway.

Both types of stealth jets are fifth generation, multi-role, single seat aircraft with air-to-air and air-to-ground strike capabilities including advanced sensors and can both reach speeds of more than 1900km/hr.

The sensors mean pilots, wearing a $A569,116 Helmet Mounted Display system, do not need to be physically pointed at their target to deploy a weapon.

Instead, they can simply look at a target thanks to the helmet’s built-in tracking technology.

The F-35B’s are just one of the many types of powerful aircraft constantly coming and going on the USS Wasp, the flagship of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, in a loud but flowing version of precision runway movements.

The Wasp was the first ship to deploy the assault support tiltrotor V-22 Osprey in October 2007 on a deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The 257m long, multipurpose ship is designed to accommodate landing craft air cushions — or hovercrafts — used for beach landings, as well as various other types of aircraft including AV-8B Harrier II jets and different types of attack helicopters.

Used for transport, the tiltrotor Osprey also has vertical and short takeoff and landing abilities.

An F-35B landing on the USS Wasp. Picture: Peter Wallis

The heli-plane can manoeuvre like a helicopter, has the speed of a turboprop and can carry 24 combat troops faster and farther than previous helicopters.

It was developed following the failure of Operation Eagle Claw during the 1980 Iran hostage crisis.

During Talisman Sabre 2017, three US Marines died after an MV-22 Osprey crashed off the coast of Shoalwater Bay as it prepared to land on the USS Green Bay, part of the Wasp expeditionary strike group.

Rear Admiral Fred Kacher, who took over the helm of the USS Wasp in May, said he was excited to return to Talisman Sabre.

“It’s a tremendous exercise series we’ve participated in before, I’ve participated in personally and benefited immensely from it,” he said.

“Australia is one of our closest partners and as we operate in the Indo-Pacific having a partner that shares our values that we fought and served alongside with, is absolutely important as we face the challenges that are resident in the Indo Pacific region.”

An F-35B landing on the USS Wasp. Picture: Peter Wallis

Now in its eighth iteration, Exercise Talisman Sabre is designed to test and practice combat readiness and interoperability between Australia and the US Armed forces.

This year the training scenario features a fictitious adversary dubbed Kamaria, a nation whose military has overthrown the democratically elected government of the island nation of Legais.

Australia, US and Japanese forces, or “Team Blue,” have the task of restoring the sovereignty of the allied nation.

But first they must defeat the enemy, known as Team Red, played by about 1500 soldiers from Brisbane’s 7th Brigade.

Exercise Talisman Sabre extends as far north to Townsville and as far south as the Evans Head Air Weapons Range in northern NSW and ends July 24.