Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501), the Marine Corps' only F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter training squadron, completed their first F-35B Lightning II takeoff supported entirely by Marine maintainers aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., Sept. 4. The squadron's F-35B Lightning II aircraft, designed by Lockheed Martin, is normally maintained by both Marine maintainers and Lockheed Martin technicians making the squadron's 100 percent Marine maintenance paramount for aircraft operations in deployed environments. The F-35B Lightning II JSF will replace the Marine Corps’ aging legacy tactical fleet. In addition to replacing the F/A-18A-D Hornet, the Marine Corps will replace the AV-8B Harrier and EA-6B Prowler, essentially necking down to one common tactical fixed-wing aircraft. The integration of the F-35B/C strike fighters will provide the dominant, multi-role, fifth-generation capabilities needed across the full spectrum of combat operations to deter potential adversaries and enable future naval aviation power projection.
<br>Unit: Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
Cpl. Sarah Cherry
Taken on 4 September 2014
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