PLA Military 'On Alert' As US Carrier For 1st Time Launches F-35 Stealth Jets In South China Sea

This comes as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold is gaining most attention from Beijing after it sailed near Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, which is an area long claimed by China. Business Insider details of the new stealth fighter carrier deployment , "The F-35A is a variant built for the Air Force. The F-35B, mainly used by the Marine Corps, is designed to fight from amphibious assault ships. And the C variant is designed to operate aboard US Navy carriers. It can carry more fuel and weaponry and is built for catapult launches and fly-in arrestments." A…