The U.S. Marine Corps has deployed an unspecified number of advanced F-35 stealth fighter aircraft armed with laser-guided bombs to the Philippine Sea for a training exercise, Indo-Pacific Command said Wednesday.

Axar.az reports ciitng foreign media.

"U.S. PacificMarines with 31stMEU assigned to USPacificFleet amphibious assault ship USS America LHA6 unleash F-35 fighter aircrafts armed with GBU-49 bombs in the Philippine Sea. SemperFI Lethality FlyMarines," the command wrote on Twitter.

It said in a follow-on tweet that the forces were engaged in "conducting routine training with the F-35s aboard the USS America."

"Thank you and we apologize for the confusion FreeandOpenIndoPacific," it said.