An F-35B launches off the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) as part of a routine patrol in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo)
The Defense Department is sending F-35 fighter aircraft and a Navy destroyer, in addition to F-16s, to US Central Command in the Middle East, in an effort to deter further Iranian actions at a critical waterway in the Gulf, Breaking Defense reports.