BAE Systems and the F-35B Lightning II are at the center of a new modernization contract signed between the U.S. Navy and the Norfolk shipyard, which will allow the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima to be adapted and upgraded to operate the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the stealth fighter produced by Lockheed Martin, with work scheduled to begin in 2026.
The awarded contract covers a Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) period to upgrade onboard systems on the amphibious ship so that it can embark and support F-35B stealth fighter operations. The work requires modifications to key infrastructure, including the flight deck and support equipment.
The modernization of the USS Iwo Jima, which measures 257 meters in length and belongs to the Wasp class, is scheduled to begin in August 2026 at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia, where the company is also completing repairs on the lead ship of the class, the USS Wasp (LHD-1).
David M. Thomas Jr., Vice President and General Manager of BAE Systems Maritime Solutions Norfolk, stated that this availability represents “a welcome workload opportunity for our Norfolk shipyard team,” adding that the company will apply “lessons learned from current and past modernization work on this class of ships” during the process.
The USS Iwo Jima is the third U.S. Navy ship to bear this name in commemoration of the World War II battle and was commissioned in June 2001, serving as an amphibious deployment platform capable of operating aircraft, helicopters, and Marine infantry units.
The modernization comes at a time when the United States Marine Corps has been progressively retiring aircraft such as the AV-8B Harrier II — scheduled for decommissioning next June — which are being replaced by F-35B stealth fighters, according to recent aviation plans detailing the evolution of the force’s fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned capabilities.
Adapting the USS Iwo Jima for F-35B operations is considered a step within the broader modernization of the amphibious fleet, aligning its capabilities with current operational requirements to integrate fifth-generation VTOL aircraft into power projection and expeditionary support missions.
*Images for illustrative purposes.
You may also be interested in: With the flight of the YFQ-44A equipped with an AMRAAM missile, the U.S. Air Force began weapons integration testing with its collaborative combat drones
