In a global showcase of the F-35's capabilities, U.S. and U.K. F-35Bs aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth completed their first operational mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Shader on June 18. The U.K. Carrier Strike Group has spent weeks in the Mediterranean completing exercises with NATO allies when they carried out the combat operations in the Middle East. It is another solid reminder of the effective interoperability of the combined naval forces as the U.S. Marines Corps operate from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier. Commodore Steve Moorhouse, Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group, explains that this strike on the ISIS terrorist group marks a new phase of their current deployment. To date, they have delivered diplomatic influence on behalf of the U.K. through a series of exercises and engagements with partners — now they are ready to deliver "the hard punch of maritime-based air power against a shared enemy." Learn more about this milestone operation for the F-35 partners.