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Aviation News

Category: Marines

Hot-loading a F-35

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U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, conduct the first ever hot load on the F-35B Lightning II in support of Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI) 1-17 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., Sept. 22, 2016. The exercise is part of WTI 1-17, a seven-week training event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) cadre. MAWTS-1 provides standardized tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine Aviation Training and Readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by SSgt. Artur Shvartsberg, MAWTS-1 COMCAM)
U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, conduct the first ever hot load on the F-35B Lightning II in support of Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI) 1-17 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., Sept. 22, 2016. The exercise is part of WTI 1-17, a seven-week training event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) cadre. MAWTS-1 provides standardized tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine Aviation Training and Readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by SSgt. Artur Shvartsberg, MAWTS-1 COMCAM)

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U.S. Marines forced to hire civilian contractor for their jumps

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The 2nd Marine Division in North Carolina has been forced to hire a skydiving company this month so that Marines from 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion can get jump time before deployment.

US Navy 060330-M-4657S-001 Force Reconnaissance Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC) freefall over Djibouti, during parachute training
By U.S. Navy photo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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USMC AV-8B crashes in Japan

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A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier has crashed in the waters off Okinawa, Japan this afternoon around 2 p.m. local time. At this point of time, VMA-542 has a detachment of Harriers in Japan.

AV-8B flying over Macdill Air Force Base
By U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jason Robertson; The original uploader was Looper5920 at English Wikipedia, 2007-04-07 (original upload date) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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VMFA-211 traveled to Florida to fire air-to-air missiles

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A U.S. Marine F-35 Lightning II from the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 speeds down the runway during a 53rd Weapon Evaluation Group, Weapon System Evaluation Program at the Tyndall flightline Sept. 16, 2016. During this WSEP, VMFA 211 completed numerous sorties including the one that fired the first operational F-35 AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Solomon Cook/Released)
A U.S. Marine F-35 Lightning II from the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 speeds down the runway during a 53rd Weapon Evaluation Group, Weapon System Evaluation Program at the Tyndall flightline Sept. 16, 2016. During this WSEP, VMFA 211 completed numerous sorties including the one that fired the first operational F-35 AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Solomon Cook/Released)

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VFA-147 will be the first operational F-35C squadron

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The U.S. Navy has identified VFA-147 as the first squadron to transition to the F-35C in 2018. The announcement was made on Sept. 10 at the annual Tailhook Association convention in Reno, Nevada.

F-18E of VFA-147 lands on USS Nimitz (CVN-68) in 2013
By U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Kelly M. Agee [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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