The U.S. Marine Corps has conducted the first-ever combat strike with Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning IIs in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan, the service says.

The U.S. Marine Corps is awaiting defense secretary approval to take the Boeing Compact Laser Weapons System to the field, the service’s program manager says.

It could come down to a matter of timing, as the U.S. Army balances its requirements for new armed reconnaissance and long-range assault rotorcraft.