Hagel Visits Navy’s Newest Warship That Will Carry the F-35 - Defense One:
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited the Navy’s newest warship Wednesday, a massive amphibious assault ship that could carry more than 3,000 sailors and Marines.
The ship, which is undergoing test trials about 10 miles off the California coast, is the first in a new class of amphibious ships designed to rapidly deploy Marines.
The America is “one of the most sophisticated Navy platforms we have,” Hagel told sailors while standing in front of a massive American flag in the ships hangar bay, which had flags of the 50 states hanging from the ceiling. The secretary is in the middle of a farewell tour, visiting Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Army posts across the country.
The America, which is about half the size of an aircraft carrier, is optimized for the Marine Corps newest aircraft, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and MV-22 Osprey.
