Base F-35B F-35C
MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina 84 10
MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina 60 10
MCAS Yuma, Arizona 54 10
MCAS Miramar, California 56 10
MCAS Iwakuni, Japan 16 -
NAS Lemoore, California - 2
Eglin AFB, Florida - 5
Total 270 47LIGHTNING II FIELDING 2032
Squadron Location Aircraft Command Tail code
VMFA-121
‘Green Knights’ MCAS Iwakuni, Japan F-35B MAG-12 VK
VMFA-122
‘Flying Leathernecks’ MCAS Yuma, Arizona F-35B MAG-31 DC
VMFA-211 ‘Avengers’ MCAS Yuma, Arizona F-35B MAG-13 CF
VMFAT-501 ‘Warlords’ MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina F-35B MAG-31 VM
VMX-1 Det (see note 1) Edwards AFB, CaliforniaF-35B COTEF MV
1 VMX-1 is under the administrative control of the deputy commandant for aviation, but operational
control is assigned to COTEF’s Aviation Warfare Division. F-35Bs will relocate to MCAS Yuma when
IOT&E (OPEVAL) is completed.F-35B Lightning II
Now operational with two
squadrons, the short take-o and
vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B is
on its way to replacing both the
Hornet and the Harrier as the
USMC’s primary strike ghter. In
fact, F-35Bs operated by VMFA-121
recently completed their rst MEU
deployment aboard the USS Wasp
(LHD 1), which had departed from
its home port in Yokosuka, Japan.
The squadron, which achieved
initial operational capability with
the Block 3i version in July 2015, has
been stationed at MCAS Iwakuni,
Japan, since January 2017. A second
squadron will support a MEU
deployment this summer when
F-35Bs from VMFA-211 are deployed
aboard the USS Essex (LHD 2). The
deployment will be the rst with
Block 3F F-35Bs that provide full
operational capability.
Ultimately, the marines will
acquire 353 STOVL F-35Bs and 67
F-35C carrier variants that will be
operated by 20 active and two
reserve component squadrons
from six locations. Two of the USMC
squadrons will be tasked with
training and seven of the corps’
F-35Cs will support training with US
Navy eet replacement squadrons
VFA-101 and VFA-125 at Eglin
AFB, Florida, and NAS Lemoore,
California. The rst Marine Corps
F-35C was delivered to VFA-101 in
January 2015. Eight USMC F-35Cs,
instructor pilots and maintainers
are supporting training e orts with
VF-101 and VFA-125.
Full transition to the Lightning
II will be complete when thesecond reserve squadron is
formed in 2031. Fielding plans
call for nine squadrons to be
equipped with a PAA of 16 F-35Bs
and ve that will each have 10
aircraft. This force structure will
allow MAGTF commanders the
exibility to deploy a force that
varies in size from a six-jet MEU
detachment through a full-up
16 aircraft squadron depending
upon its requirements. All F-35B
training will be carried out at
MCAS Beaufort, which will be
home to both 25-aircraft training
squadrons. Each of the four F-35C
squadrons will have 10 aircraft
assigned and will support US Navy
carrier air wing deployments as
part of TACAIR integration. When
required, the F-35C will be tasked to
support a MAGTF.
VMFA-122 is undergoing transition
to the F-35B and VMFA-314 will be
the rst marine squadron to equip
with the carrier version when it
forms at MCAS Miramar in 2019.
The squadron is expected to begin
deployment work-ups with CVW-11
by the end of 2021.
Under the 2018 Marine Aviation
Plan, VMFA(AW)-225 will begin
conversion from the F/A-18D to
the F-35B in 2020 and the second
FRS will form at Beaufort when
VMFAT-502 is activated in early FY- A reserve squadron augment
unit (SAU) will be established with
VMFAT-501 to support FRS ight
operations during FY 2018.
Conversion to the F-35B di ers
based on whether the squadron
will receive 10 aircraft or 16, with
the two respectively requiring 18
and 24 months to achieve FOC. In
December 2017, 52 F-35Bs were in
service with four squadrons.
Achieving IOC In July 2015,
the Block 3i F-35B provides the
capability to carry internal weapons
comprising two AIM-120C missiles
and two 1,000lb (454kg) GBU-32
Joint Direct Attack Munitions
(JDAMs) or two 500lb (227kg)
GBU-12 laser guided bombs.
Both the F-35B and F-35C are
equipped with the Northrop
Grumman AN/APG-81 active
electronically scanned array (AESA)
radar. The high-resolution synthetic
aperture radar (SAR) provides
mapping and all-weather targeting
capabilities. The AN/AAQ-40 electro-
optical targeting system (EOTS) is a
multi-function system that provides
precision air-to-air and air-to-surface
targeting capability and features
both forward-looking infra-red and
infra-red search and track (IRST)
functionality. In addition, the AN/AAQ-37 distributed aperture
system (DAS) provides missile
detection and tracking, launch
point detection, situational
awareness IRST and cueing,
weapons support and day/night
navigation. Block 3F provides
full war ghting capability and
enables the Lightning II to employ
additional weapons including
wing-mounted AIM-9X air-to-
air missiles, the 250lb (113kg)
GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bomb
(SDB), four 500lb (227kg) weapons
on external wing stations and
a GAU-22 25mm gun pod on a
centerline station. It makes the
F-35C capable of carrying the
2,000lb (907kg) GBU-31 JDAM
and the Block III AGM-154C Joint
Stand-o Weapon (JSOW-C) on
its internal stations. It provides
expanded sensor and datalink
capability, automatic target
recognition, a ground moving
target tracker (GMTT) and interim
full motion video (FMV).An F-35B Lightning II of
VMFA-211 aboard USS
Essex (LHD 2).
USMC/Sgt April L. PriceUS NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIR POWER YEARBOOK 2018
(^92) AIR POWER REVIEW
86-99 Marine Tables C.indd 92 01/06/2018 14:05