Lightning Comes to Cherry Point

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C --

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 251, Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), received its first F-35C Lightning II jet today aboard Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina.
VMFA-251 is the Marine Corps' first East Coast operational F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron. The arrival of the aircraft marks the beginning of F-35C deliveries to MCAS Cherry Point, continuing 2nd MAW's operational transition from legacy fixed-wing tactical aircraft to the F-35.  

"Today's arrival of our first carrier-based, fifth-generation fighter-attack aircraft represents an enormous milestone for MAG-14, MCAS Cherry Point, 2nd MAW, and the F-35 community" Col. Benjamin Grant, MAG-14 commanding officer

The F-35 is a fifth-generation fighter jet with advanced stealth, agility and maneuverability, sensor and information fusion, and provides the pilot with real-time access to battlespace information. It is designed to meet an advanced threat, while improving lethality, survivability, and supportability. The F-35C is designed to operate from conventional aircraft carriers or land bases and provides operational maneuverability and persistence to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). Superior internal fuel capacity results in a significantly increased combat radius and longer on-station times as compared to the F-35B, the F-35's short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant.
"Today's arrival of our first carrier-based, fifth-generation fighter-attack aircraft represents an enormous milestone for MAG-14, MCAS Cherry Point, 2nd MAW, and the F-35 community," said Col. Benjamin Grant, commanding officer, MAG-14. "The one-two punch provided by the F-35C's increased range and the F-35B's STOVL capability will give MAG-14 and the MAGTF a significant advantage in the future fight. I'm proud of the team of Marines and Sailors at MAG-14 and VMFA-251 for their professionalism and dedication, and grateful for our partners in the Marine Corps and the joint force that made today's event possible."
VMFA-251, known as the "Thunderbolts" or "T-Bolts," deactivated during a ceremony on April 23, 2020, aboard MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, after returning from a deployment in 2020 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The Thunderbolts' deactivation concluded its 34 years as a F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron was relocated to MCAS Cherry Point to begin its F-35 transition and is currently going through the process of official reactivation and working towards receiving its Safe for Flight certification.
"The F-35C Lightning II brings tremendous combat power to 2nd MAW, MAG-14, and MCAS Cherry Point. It's incredible range, firepower, sensors, and survivability, coupled with the fact that it is truly a Joint aircraft, makes it a lethal asset for Marine aviation," said Lt. Col. Evan Shockley, commanding officer, VMFA-251, and the aircraft's pilot to MCAS Cherry Point. "The T-Bolts of VMFA-251 are excited to accept these aircraft, reactivate the squadron in the coming months, and carry their legacy forward."
VMFA-251 is a subordinate unit of 2nd MAW, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.