US Marine Corps conducts first combat missions with F-35C jets against Houthis in Yemen

The U.S. Marine Corps has reportedly conducted airstrikes using F-35C fighter jets against Houthi rebels in Yemen, marking the first combat deployment of this variant. The strikes took place from the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier on November 9-10. Pentagon officials confirmed that the F-35Cs targeted Houthi weapons storage facilities. These facilities were used to launch attacks on U.S. and international vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Previously, only F-35A and F-35B variants had seen combat. The Marine Corps plans to acquire 67 F-35Cs, while the Navy aims to procure 260 of the same variant.