MCAS Beaufort observes one year anniversary of F-35B arrival
A year after the first F-35B Lighting II fighter jets arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, officers at the station say the training squadron is close to being fully operations.
The fighters are the focus of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 and the Pilot Training Center. So far, 16 pilots have trained on base, for a total of 5,551 hours, the station reported in a news release.
The squadron, known as VMFAT-501, started as Marine Fighter Squadron 451 at MCAS Mojave in the 1940s. It went through several designations and locations before its current incarnation, which was born July 11, 2014.
The F-35 started as the X-35, Lockheed Martin's winning entry in a Defense Department bid for a fifth-generation joint strike fighter. The first F-35s were finished in 2006, but production and technology problems, including higher-than anticipated costs and an overheating problem, have delayed deployment.
The F-35B
The Marine Corps variant of the F-35 is distinguished by its short-takeoff and vertical landing capability. It requires only 550 feet to take off, a third as much as the F/A-18.
F-35s also boast stealth technology, making them difficult to detect on radar, and 43,000 pounds of thrust. They can travel slightly faster than F/A-18s, at 1,200mph, and can carry 18,000 pounds of ordinance.
The cockpit environment is also advanced. Flight information is displayed on screens integrated with the helmet. The jets also are outfitted with six infrared cameras that stream real-time video to the helmet, providing an unobstructed view around the aircraft.
The F-35B and MCAS Beaufort
The mission of VMFAT-501 is to train F-35B pilots and maintenance staff for deployment. Despite its rough start, VMFAT-501's Sgt. Maj. Eric Siddons said the aircraft is meeting all expectations. Successful sea testing occurred aboard the USS Wasp in May.
In deployment, the F-35B would be used for close air support, armed reconnaissance and electronic warfare, according to VMFAT-501's commanding officer, Lt. Col. Joseph T. Bachmann.
"What we can do and see for the Marines on the ground is amazing," he said.
Because the United Kingdom has purchased F-35Bs as well, members of the Royal Navy are now stationed at MCAS Beaufort training alongside American Marines. The UK contingent consists of a pilot, an officer and 14 maintainers.
"The concept of us working together is that we will all come out at the end of this with a right way of operating the F-35, as opposed to the Marine Corps or UK way, to meet a middle ground," said UK squadron leader Hugh Nichols.
This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 10:44 AM with the headline "MCAS Beaufort observes one year anniversary of F-35B arrival."