F-35B Fighters Land in Puerto Rico Strengthening U.S. Military Posture Near Venezuela
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According to Reuters in an article dated September 14, 2025, the first U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters have now landed in Puerto Rico, marking a new stage in Washington’s military posture in the Caribbean. According to information initially reported on September 5, the Pentagon had ordered the deployment of ten F-35s to Muñiz Air National Guard Base, near San Juan. That plan is now a reality: the aircraft touched down this weekend, launching what officials describe as a campaign against drug cartels, but which also clearly represents increased pressure on Venezuela.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
One of the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B multirole aircraft deployed to Puerto Rico (Picture source: X Channel @OSINTWarfare )
The decision to send fifth-generation fighters rather than older aircraft was deliberate. The F-35B, designed for the Marine Corps, is the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version. Unlike the Air Force’s F-35A, it can operate from short runways or amphibious assault ships, making it particularly suited for expeditionary deployments across island chains. Its Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, combined with a lift fan and swiveling exhaust nozzle, allows vertical landings that the F-16 or F/A-18 cannot perform.F-35B Fighters Land in Puerto Rico Strengthening U.S. Military Posture Near Venezuela
Operationally, the F-35B combines stealth with advanced sensors. Its AN/APG-81 AESA radar, Distributed Aperture System (DAS), and Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) enable simultaneous detection of air, ground, and naval targets. These data are fused by the onboard computer, turning the aircraft into an airborne intelligence node. Whether intercepting fast smuggling craft or countering combat aircraft, the F-35B can locate, track, and strike with capabilities beyond those of its predecessors.
Its armament includes AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and JDAM or Paveway guided bombs carried internally to maintain stealth. When stealth is not a priority, external pylons expand the weapons load, including Sidewinders and heavier munitions. This allows the aircraft to shift from surveillance to precision strike in a single mission, something earlier aircraft could not achieve alone.
Muñiz Air National Guard Base, in Carolina near San Juan, is now the center of these reinforced operations. Traditionally home to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard’s 156th Wing, it has previously hosted advanced fighters such as the F-22. Puerto Rico offers clear strategic advantages: as U.S. territory, it avoids diplomatic complications of foreign basing agreements. Its location, about 800 kilometers from Venezuela and near major maritime routes, makes it a natural hub for Caribbean operations.
Beyond Muñiz, the island’s southern training areas and deep-water ports such as Roosevelt Roads serve as staging points for amphibious and naval forces. Puerto Rico is thus becoming a power projection platform close to Caracas.
This air deployment coincides with one of the largest U.S. naval presences in the region in decades. Ships including USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, USS Sampson, the cruiser USS Lake Erie, and the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima are operating nearby. Amphibious transport docks USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale, the littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and the submarine USS Newport News add further weight. More than 4,500 Marines and sailors are embarked, conducting amphibious drills in southern Puerto Rico.
Just days before the F-35s arrived, Venezuelan F-16s flew close to USS Jason Dunham, an incident Washington described as dangerous. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that further strikes against cartel-related or Venezuelan-linked targets “cannot be ruled out.” With F-35s now based in Puerto Rico, the United States has expanded options ranging from deterrence to targeted strikes.
President Nicolás Maduro ordered his armed forces to maintain “maximum readiness,” calling the deployment a direct threat to Venezuelan sovereignty. Analysts in the United States, however, argue that the strategy has two objectives: disrupting cartel logistics while increasing military pressure on Caracas. As Dr. Evan Ellis of the U.S. Army War College explained, “the arrival of F-35s completely changes the Caribbean equation.” The message is that the United States is prepared to escalate both technologically and militarily.
The deployment has already triggered political debate in Washington. Lawmakers have criticized the lack of explicit congressional authorization for expanded operations. Legal experts also point to the September 2 strike on a Venezuelan-linked vessel in international waters as raising serious questions under international law, given the absence of public evidence to justify the action.
For years, the Caribbean was seen as a rear area, monitored mainly by coast guard patrols and occasional reconnaissance flights. The arrival of stealth fighters alongside a large naval force marks a shift: the region is now treated as a potentially contested environment, where the Pentagon integrates fifth-generation airpower, amphibious capabilities, and naval strength.
In practice, the F-35Bs extend situational awareness across the southern Caribbean. Their ability to share information with drones, warships, and command centers multiplies the effectiveness of the overall force. Geopolitically, their presence in Puerto Rico demonstrates Washington’s readiness to counter both non-state and state threats.
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According to Reuters in an article dated September 14, 2025, the first U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters have now landed in Puerto Rico, marking a new stage in Washington’s military posture in the Caribbean. According to information initially reported on September 5, the Pentagon had ordered the deployment of ten F-35s to Muñiz Air National Guard Base, near San Juan. That plan is now a reality: the aircraft touched down this weekend, launching what officials describe as a campaign against drug cartels, but which also clearly represents increased pressure on Venezuela.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
One of the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B multirole aircraft deployed to Puerto Rico (Picture source: X Channel @OSINTWarfare )
The decision to send fifth-generation fighters rather than older aircraft was deliberate. The F-35B, designed for the Marine Corps, is the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version. Unlike the Air Force’s F-35A, it can operate from short runways or amphibious assault ships, making it particularly suited for expeditionary deployments across island chains. Its Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, combined with a lift fan and swiveling exhaust nozzle, allows vertical landings that the F-16 or F/A-18 cannot perform.
F-35B Fighters Land in Puerto Rico Strengthening U.S. Military Posture Near Venezuela
Operationally, the F-35B combines stealth with advanced sensors. Its AN/APG-81 AESA radar, Distributed Aperture System (DAS), and Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) enable simultaneous detection of air, ground, and naval targets. These data are fused by the onboard computer, turning the aircraft into an airborne intelligence node. Whether intercepting fast smuggling craft or countering combat aircraft, the F-35B can locate, track, and strike with capabilities beyond those of its predecessors.
Its armament includes AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and JDAM or Paveway guided bombs carried internally to maintain stealth. When stealth is not a priority, external pylons expand the weapons load, including Sidewinders and heavier munitions. This allows the aircraft to shift from surveillance to precision strike in a single mission, something earlier aircraft could not achieve alone.
Muñiz Air National Guard Base, in Carolina near San Juan, is now the center of these reinforced operations. Traditionally home to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard’s 156th Wing, it has previously hosted advanced fighters such as the F-22. Puerto Rico offers clear strategic advantages: as U.S. territory, it avoids diplomatic complications of foreign basing agreements. Its location, about 800 kilometers from Venezuela and near major maritime routes, makes it a natural hub for Caribbean operations.
Beyond Muñiz, the island’s southern training areas and deep-water ports such as Roosevelt Roads serve as staging points for amphibious and naval forces. Puerto Rico is thus becoming a power projection platform close to Caracas.
This air deployment coincides with one of the largest U.S. naval presences in the region in decades. Ships including USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, USS Sampson, the cruiser USS Lake Erie, and the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima are operating nearby. Amphibious transport docks USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale, the littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and the submarine USS Newport News add further weight. More than 4,500 Marines and sailors are embarked, conducting amphibious drills in southern Puerto Rico.
Just days before the F-35s arrived, Venezuelan F-16s flew close to USS Jason Dunham, an incident Washington described as dangerous. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that further strikes against cartel-related or Venezuelan-linked targets “cannot be ruled out.” With F-35s now based in Puerto Rico, the United States has expanded options ranging from deterrence to targeted strikes.
President Nicolás Maduro ordered his armed forces to maintain “maximum readiness,” calling the deployment a direct threat to Venezuelan sovereignty. Analysts in the United States, however, argue that the strategy has two objectives: disrupting cartel logistics while increasing military pressure on Caracas. As Dr. Evan Ellis of the U.S. Army War College explained, “the arrival of F-35s completely changes the Caribbean equation.” The message is that the United States is prepared to escalate both technologically and militarily.
The deployment has already triggered political debate in Washington. Lawmakers have criticized the lack of explicit congressional authorization for expanded operations. Legal experts also point to the September 2 strike on a Venezuelan-linked vessel in international waters as raising serious questions under international law, given the absence of public evidence to justify the action.
For years, the Caribbean was seen as a rear area, monitored mainly by coast guard patrols and occasional reconnaissance flights. The arrival of stealth fighters alongside a large naval force marks a shift: the region is now treated as a potentially contested environment, where the Pentagon integrates fifth-generation airpower, amphibious capabilities, and naval strength.
In practice, the F-35Bs extend situational awareness across the southern Caribbean. Their ability to share information with drones, warships, and command centers multiplies the effectiveness of the overall force. Geopolitically, their presence in Puerto Rico demonstrates Washington’s readiness to counter both non-state and state threats.
