By 2nd Lt. John Graham
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 533, Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 31, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), received its first F-35B Lightning II jet on Friday, Oct. 11 aboard Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort.
VMFA-533 will be the Marine Corps’ second East Coast operational F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron, and the first aboard MCAS Beaufort. Prior to today, the only F-35 aircraft stationed aboard MCAS Beaufort were assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, who is tasked with conducting core introduction fighter/attack training for prospective F-35 pilots.
The arrival of the aircraft marks the beginning of F-35 deliveries to MCAS Beaufort’s operational squadrons, defined as units whose primary purpose is supporting Marine Corps and Department of Defense operations. Today’s arrival continues 2nd MAW’s operational transition from legacy fixed-wing tactical aircraft to the F-35.
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-35B Lightning II is the short-takeoff and vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35 variant. This capability allows the aircraft to operate from amphibious assault ships and expeditionary airstrips less than 2,000 feet long.
“The delivery of VMFA-533’s first Block 4 F-35B starts another chapter in the storied history of the squadron that began almost 81 years ago to date, and is a major steppingstone to increasing the lethality of MAG-31 and our ability to contribute to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force and joint force,” MAG-31 commanding officer Col. Michael Cassidy said in a news release. “Transitioning a squadron is no small feat, and significant preparation by VMFA-533’s Marines and sailors has occurred over the past year to get them to this point. I’m excited about what the future holds for VMFA-533 as they take this significant step in their history, and I very much look forward to their contribution to the sound of freedom at MCAS Beaufort.”
Block 4 upgrades provide an advancement of several capabilities for the F-35, including upgraded weapons carriage capability, added advanced non-kinetic electronic warfare capabilities, and improved target recognition. Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3), which enables Block 4, introduces open mission systems architecture, greater computing power, enhancements to the panoramic cockpit display, and a larger memory unit.
VMFA(AW)-533, colloquially known as “America’s Squadron” among squadrons assigned to MCAS Beaufort due to its red, white, and blue insignia, redesignated to VMFA-533 during a ceremony on September 28, 2023. The squadron’s redesignation concluded its 31 years as a F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron then began preparing for its transition to the F-35 and is currently going through the process of aircraft acceptance and working towards receiving its Safe for Flight certification.
“This arrival marks the new era in the Marine Corps’ employment of the F-35. The year-long process of preparing for our first Block 4 F-35 demonstrates the patience and perseverance of the Marines in this squadron,” VMFA-533 commanding officer Lt. Col. Zachary Hartnett said. “I’m truly proud of the exceptional professionalism and dedication that every Marine in America’s Squadron has shown over the last year, and I’m excited to see their hard work rewarded with the long-awaited delivery of an F-35 to call our own.”
VMFA-533 is a subordinate unit of 2nd MAW, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.
