A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B landed at Kadena Air Base around 1:10 p.m. local time on Jul. 26 and the jet taxied to one corner with issues over its gun pod.
LtCol Joseph Freshour, the commanding officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, accelerates as he prepares to launch from the deck of Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Queen Elizabeth armed with a Gun Pod Unit (GPU) – 9/A, at sea on 28 September, 2020. Freshour became the first F-35B Joint Strike Fighter pilot to fly from the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth while carrying a GPU. This milestone continues VMFA-211’s preparation for the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group global deployment.
Firefighters were put on standby while maintainers troubleshoot the gun pod.
