Photo By Senior Airman Matt Porter | U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 49, conduct aerial gunnery live fire...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ — An aircrew assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 49 conducted an aerial gunnery live fire training on Jan. 20, 2023, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
The live fire training required aircrews to successfully engage simulated targets with the GAU-17 gatling gun, the M-2 .50 cal. machine gun, and low-collateral M151, H843, H842, and M282 multi-purpose penetrator warheads, while piloting UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters.
“Aerial gunnery is one the richest and most storied parts of our heritage as Marine Corps. aviators,” said U.S. Marine Corps. Capt. Ben Murphy, HMLA-773 pilot. “We’re still using the Huey, door gunners, and manually directed weapons because these are proven and effective weapon systems that are just as relevant today as they were in the Vietnam era.”
While some things only get better with age, incorporating new technology is important to a service that prides itself on adaptation and versatility.
“The fundamentals learned with the original Huey’s served as the foundation for our more advanced weapon systems like the Viper,” said Murphy. “To be able to train using both aircraft in tandem is a bit like mixing the best of the old with the new. Any real-world engagements today would involve these aircraft, so being able to train in a simulated environment locally is really invaluable for us.”
Army Support Activity Fort Dix, the premiere training installation for the U.S. Army Reserve was able to accommodate the necessary acreage required for the live fire to occur.
Additionally, the low collateral multi-purpose penetrator warheads used in the live fire were assembled and packaged by Marines at the 305th Air Mobility Wing Munitions Depot with the assistance of 305th airmen.
“The training range as a whole is quite large, but it’s divided up into sections designed to allow for certain types of training to occur,” said Guy Foy, ASA Fort Dix aviation coordinator. “Initially we didn’t meet some of the training requirements for the Marines in terms of necessary acreage on specific training ranges, but we were able to redraw the lines, so to speak, to accommodate certain live fires like this.”
Pilots and aircrews across the Department of Defense require hundreds of hours of flight time to maintain aerial combat superiority against Near-Peer. The Joint Force leveraging resources and experience will continue to play a vital role in securing our strategic advantage over competitors.
| Date Taken: | 01.20.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 01.26.2023 12:27 |
| Story ID: | 437279 |
| Location: | MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 243 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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