Aviation Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Juan Cumpston directs an F-35C Lightning II carrier variant to the catapult on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy has declared its fleet of F-35C fighter jets ready for war, the Department of Defense announced Thursday. The Navy joins the Marine Corps and Air Force as the third and final service branch to declare their F-35s ready for war.

"The F-35C is ready for operations, ready for combat and ready to win," said Commander Naval Air Forces, Vice Admiral DeWolfe Miller in a statement. "We are adding an incredible weapon system into the arsenal of our Carrier Strike Groups that significantly enhances the capability of the joint force."

Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon's top weapons supplier, designed three variants of the fighter in order to accommodate the unique needs of each sister-service branch: the F-35A for the Air Force, F-35B for the Marine Corps, and F-35C for the Navy.