The stealthy F-35 fighter jet has conducted a combat airstrike for the first time, the culmination of years of development and anticipation for the aircraft’s move to the battlefield. A Marine Corps F-35B, Lightning II, took off from the amphibious assault ship Essex and launched an airstrike Thursday against Taliban targets in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. There are multiple versions of the F-35 for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. The supersonic Marine version can take off over a short distance and land vertically, like a helicopter. Overall program costs are expected to rise to $1.5 trillion, once servicing and maintenance costs for the F-35 are factored in over the aircraft’s lifespan through 2070, AFP reported.

Source: Fox News September 27, 2018 20:29 UTC