California Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW) recently hosted Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) for a joint training exercise focused on fighter integration. The F-35B Lightning IIs from Arizona arrived at Fresno Air National Guard Base on Jun. 7th, to train alongside the 144th FW’s F-15C Eagle fighter jets.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has announced that the upcoming Exercise Pitch Black, taking place from Jul. 12th to Aug. 2nd, 2024, will be the largest in its 43-year history. This significant international military exercise will see the participation of the Italian aircraft carrier Cavour, along with its embarked AV-8B Harrier II and F-35B Lightning II fighter jets.
Capt. Raymond Hower, a U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier pilot with Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 223, recently conducted a commemorative flight to honor his great-uncle, LCDR Louis A. Conter. Conter, who passed away on Apr. 1st, at the age of 102, held the distinction of being the last known survivor of the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
U.S. Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Training Squadron (VMUT)-2 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, has began assembly of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s (MAW) first MQ-9A on Apr. 10th.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced the successful completion of the first phase of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Penetrating Affordable Autonomous Collaborative Killer – Portfolio (PAACK-P) program. The accomplishment comes after a live flight test at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) effectively collaborated with F-35 aircraft and demonstrated its electronic attack (EA) capabilities.