Combat aircraft

T

HERE’S SOMETHING VERY

businesslike about a Marine

Corps  ghter squadron.

Getting the job done, often in

the face of adversity, is central

to the task. When it came to

being able to operate close to the front

line, from an amphibious assault ship

or generating missions from a forward

operating base — hot-refueling and

pumping up the sortie rate — the British-

designed Harrier appeared to  t the bill,

but was far from a popular choice with its

fair share of skeptics, and accidents, in the

early days.

Back in 1971, VMA-513 ‘Flying

Nightmares’ received the  rst Hawker

Siddeley AV-8A Harriers, closely based on

the Royal Air Force’s Harrier GR1s. Their

vertical/short take-o and landing

(V/STOL) capabilities reshaped the way

the Marines did business.

Superseded by the AV-8B Harrier II, in

what was truly a joint Anglo-American

program, the Harrier became a type

synonymous with that core o ensive

support of the battle eld. Fast forward

to September 1989 and VMA-214 ‘Black

Sheep’ got into the Harrier game as

the squadron received the very  rst

production night attack AV-8Bs at MCAS

Irrespective of the

circumstances, the US

Marine Corps tactical

aviation community is

all about supporting

troops in the fi eld. For

VMA-214 ‘Black Sheep’,

it’s a mission that spans

75 years, and one that is

set to continue well into

the future.

REPORT: Jamie Hunter

Armed with two live GBU-16

laser-guided bombs and two slick

Mk82s and carrying a centerline

Litening pod, a VMA-214 ‘Black

Sheep’ AV-8B+ Harrier II fl ies a

close air support mission near the

Twentynine Palms training area.

Jamie Hunter

Getting the job done...

24 February 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

24-35 VMA-214 C.indd 24 13/12/2017 14:42