Photo By Lance Cpl. Alexis Ibarra | An F-35C Lightning II assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 311, Marine...... read more read more
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Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. – Marines with the two fixed-wing Marine Aircraft Groups of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing launched a series of cross-MAG Large Force Exercises in the skies of Southern California from Jan. 9-16, 2025. These were the first of their kind in duration and scale with involvement from all 3rd MAW fighter squadrons, and the combined effort provided an invaluable training platform to refine advanced tactics and improve joint interoperability.
The series of LFEs featured defensive counter-air and strike missions, critical components of modern aerial warfare. With adversary capabilities continuously evolving, exercises like these allow Marine Corps aviators to stay ahead of the pacing threat and adapt to emerging challenges.
The primary training objective of the LFEs were to prepare F-35 Lightning II and F/A-18 Hornet pilots for the Marine Corps’ prestigious Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, held at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. WTI is a rigorous seven-week course that certifies instructors to ensure aviation units maintain cutting-edge training and readiness. Before pilots can attend the advanced course, they must achieve the critical milestone of air mission commander qualification.
“The mission commander is the individual delegated responsibility for planning and executing with all available assets and capabilities to achieve the assigned mission,” said Maj. Jason Garden, pilot training officer with MAG-13. “Mission commanders are qualified and designated to manage the overall blue force formation which typically consists of a minimum of three divisions of aircraft, aerial refueling assets and other joint or coalition forces assigned to the mission.”
The LFEs provided a unique opportunity for pilots to earn this qualification while refining their flight leadership skills, positioning them for success at WTI.
Marine Corps fighter attack pilots typically rely on joint events like the Air Force-hosted Red Flag exercise for advanced aerial combat training at scale. Recognizing the need for more frequent and standardized opportunities, MAG-13 introduced Fifth Generation Friday in 2023. The monthly MAG-wide training event gave F-35B Lightning II pilots realistic exposure to advanced adversarial tactics and laid the groundwork for LFEs of this magnitude.
January’s LFE week brought together eight Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons from MAG-11 and MAG-13 and Marine Air Support Squadron 3, who operated with support from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 and Marine Operational Test & Evaluation Squadron 1, for seven consecutive training missions, pairing fourth-generation F/A-18 Hornets with fifth-generation F-35B and F-35C Lighting II aircraft in a “fighter integration” strategy. This approach combined the firepower and maneuverability of fourth-generation aircraft with the stealth and advanced capabilities of fifth-generation platforms, challenging prospective WTI students to optimize mission planning and execution.
“That’s a critical aspect of learning you can only achieve in a large force exercise with the right level of integration,” said Capt. Cyrus Wilson, pilot training officer with MAG-11. “One of the key challenges for the prospective WTI students is to develop a gameplan that maximizes the firepower of the F/A-18 while leveraging F-35 tactics, all while managing an appropriate level of risk.”
The exercise also offered invaluable training for aircrew, intelligence Marines, and command and control Marines from MASS-3, who played essential roles in managing and supporting the training evolutions.
The LFEs incorporated Navy and Air Force assets, including the E-3 Sentry and E-2 Hawkeye, which enhanced the organic command and control capabilities. Capt. Wilson highlighted ambitions to expand the scope of future LFEs by incorporating additional assets such as the EA-18G Growler, F-35A Lightning II aircraft, and additional Marine Corps ground units, to further simulate the complexities of modern combat.
“We’d like to involve as many assets as possible to create realistic scenarios,” Wilson said. “We need to work together to solve real-world peer adversary problems, this is a joint effort.”
Typical to military aviation, post-mission debriefs served as a cornerstone of the LFE process, providing participants with a structured opportunity to analyze performance, identify mistakes, and establish best practices for future operations.
“If we don’t take the time to learn from our mistakes, we’re not growing as aviators or as a fighting force,” Garden said. “Everyone in the formation, from the mission commander to new wingmen, gains invaluable insight and feedback that drive continuous tactical refinement and increases lethality and survivability.”
“The debrief is the most critical part of this process,” Wilson added. “As a prospective WTI, you might develop a flawed game plan during mission planning and struggle during execution. What truly matters is whether you can analyze those mistakes in the debrief and provide actionable guidance to ensure we don’t repeat them. The goal is to identify errors, learn from them, and improve for the next mission.”
Likewise, the lessons learned from planning and executing this Large Force Exercise will inform and enhance future iterations, ensuring continuous improvement and even greater training value for the wing.
| Date Taken: | 01.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.30.2025 20:40 |
| Story ID: | 489849 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO , CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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