The Marine Corps officially welcomed its first F-35B operational squadron on Nov. 20 during a ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos spoke at the event, during which the service re-designated Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121, formerly an F/A-18 squadron, as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, the unit that will oversee F-35B tactical operational training at Yuma. Marine officials said this transition marked an important milestone for the service, and for the Defense Department overall, as the F-35 strike fighter progresses from a testing and training platform towards full-scale operations. Lockheed Martin officially transferred the first three operational-coded F-35Bs to the Marine Corps during the event, according to a company release. With these three airplanes, the company has now delivered 16 F-35Bs to the marines. The other 13 are assigned to Eglin AFB, Fla., where they support pilot and maintainer training at the joint F-35 schoolhouse there. The F-35B is slated to replace the marines’ F/A-18s, AV-8Bs, and EA-6Bs. (See also MCAS Yuma’s Facebook site and Reuters report via the Chicago Tribune.)
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
